CAPTURED NEAR BURNHAM.
125
1883, which was described by Prof. Flower in Proc. Zool. Soc.
(Nov., 1883), and Trans. E. F. Club (vol. iv. p. 113).
The alarm was given, and in half-an-hour about thirty men were
at work trying to secure the animal with ropes, and soon afterwards
Inspector Rome of the Burnham Oyster Company and Mr. John
Auger appeared on the scene with a gun, and many shots were
fired, to which at length it succumbed, lying close under the sea
wall.
The tide was then flowing in, and it was taken in tow by the
smacks "Plover" and "Teazer," and subsequently by the steamer
"Jumbo," which brought the carcase safely to Burnham, where a
crowd had assembled to witness its arrival. It was soon seized on
behalf of the Crown by Mr. J. Finch, H.M. Customs officer and
receiver, and was put up to auction, being knocked down for
£17 10s. to Mr. J. S. Prior, of Southminster, and Messrs. John
Hawkins and Henry Cook, of Burnham. Later in the day it was
claimed by the solicitors of Sir Henry Mildmay, Lord of the Manor,
and owner of the royalty of the river, who had on the previous
occasion successfully established his right by a Chancery in-
junction.
Attempts were then made to raise it on to the quay by a crane,
but this was found impossible, and on the next day (Friday) fresh
efforts were made to raise it on to a slip by means of a capstan and
tackle, which were also unsuccessful, the task of raising the carcase
being a more formidable undertaking than the buyers had antici-
pated. Meanwhile a flutter of excitement was caused in the Dengie
Hundred by the news, and the advertisement of Mr. Prior announcing
the exhibition at the Malting Yard, and cheap trains at single fares.
Many hundreds of people came down on Friday and Saturday, but
had to go away disappointed. Subsequently 1,300 paid for admis-
sion.
I went down to Burnham on Saturday, and was surprised to find
the whale lying in the shallow water, held by chains, covered over
with tarpaulins, and floated by a number of empty casks. Later in the
afternoon, as the tide came in, it was slowly hauled up on a specially
prepared slip, at the back of the post-office, but the tackle broke
several times, giving me, however, an opportunity of examining the
head and baleen, and identifying the species to which it belonged.
Later on it was well hauled up, the tail only resting on the mud, and
with the aid of Mr. John Rogers, jun., of Burnham, I was able to