T11H WHALE FISIIKRY. 269 



struck, but did not attach itself; a secoud was thrown; this also failed; but a third was more 

 effectual, and yet she did not attempt to escape, but allowed three other boats to approach, so 

 that in a few minule.s three more harpoons were fastened, aud in the space of an hour afterwards 

 she was killed.'"* 



Captain Scamimni,t referring to the manner of capturing the California gray whale, says it is 

 rare that a dam will forsake her young; when first struck she momentarily forgets the calf in 

 her endeavor to escape, but instantly she recovers her self-possession, will suddenly "bring to" 

 and --sweep" around in search, aud when the boat approaches her she sometimes demolishes it. 



FINNING OUT. The " flurry" is the whaleman's name for the dying actions of the cetacean, 

 and "tinning out " is the, death. As the old style of killing the whale with the hand-lance was not 

 only more dangerous but more exciting, I shall briefly refer to the manner in which it was accom- 

 plished. The whale being well harnessed to the boat by means of the tow-line, which is fastened 

 to the flesh-embedded harpoon, it may either " turn flukes" and " sound," or, bellowing at times 

 like a bull with a great volume of voice, however it may " run," as it is termed, taking the boat 

 in tow at a rate, it has been estimated, all the way from 15 to 25 miles an hour, when it first starts 

 off, but settling down to about S or 10 knots per hour when it gets warmed up to its work. This 

 is the old "Nautucket sleigh ride." The whale having tired itself by running, the boat is hauled 

 up by the line and the affrighted whale, startled anew by the close proximity of so strange a load, 

 rushes through the surging and fast receding waters. The officer " gets a set " with his hand-lance 

 aud plunges about 5 or 6 feet of cold steel into the lungs of the victim, aud persevering without 

 ceasing iu the up and down motions, familiarly known as " churning," as the boat persistently 

 clings to the whale, until the " spout" of the unfortunate cetacean is tinged with the crimson of its 

 own life-blood dyeing the waters iu the vicinity; the muscles of the strong arms now relax upon 

 the lance; the boat is laid off, aud the dying whale swims round and round iu an unbroken 

 circle. This is the "flurry." Death is now merely a question of time. In intense agony the huge 

 cetacean follows its circumscribed course, laboriously plowing its way through the bloody water, 

 nntil the throes of death are about to convulse its enormous frame. The blood ejected through the 

 spiracles now becomes as "thick as tar." It is not only believed by whalemen, but it is usually 

 the case, that the whale during its dying moments so times its encircling path as to place the 

 head to the sun ; it makes a heavy lurch ; the sea is lashed into a maelstrom of angry, bloody 

 water, aud the ponderous whale rolls heavily on its side, or partly on its back, with its dorsal fin 

 projecting above the water. This is " finning out." 



To use a paradoxical expression, some dead whales are not always dead. It may be iu a 

 comatose state but averse to vivisection : but as the men again approach it and cut holes 

 through the lips to make the line fast, when the whale is to be towed to the vessel, a demolished 

 boat or loss of life and limbs may be the result. Hence the more cautious whalemen " prick his 

 eye," by inserting about a foot or so of the hand-lance into the eye-ball, and if the whale does not 

 flinch it is supposed to be dead. A dead whale may be towed more easily head first, and it is also 



"But Bennett, on the other hand, says (Whaling Voyage Round the Globe, 1840, p. 180) : '! believe that we have 

 sir ii the female purchase her own safety by the desertion of her youug. On several occasions our boats destroyed a suck- 

 ling calf, in the midst of a school, without sufficient interference on the part of the mot her to lead to her being identified 

 liy the harpooiier. In one instance, the boats, while pursuing a school, killed a calf with a single lance wound ; the body 

 of the little whale remained floating on the water, but none of the adults discontinued their flight. On another occasion 

 \M- noticed a herd of females make off with great rapidity, and leave a small calf swimming in an anxious, bewildered 

 manner iu the vicinity of the ship; it continued thus deserted for some time, but was ultimately rejoined by the mother, 

 when they both set off to overtake the main body of fugitives." 



tMariiu- Mammalia and History of the American Whale Fishery. 



