WHALE-FISHERY. S19 



stuck the point of the boat-hook, by which he usu- 

 ally held the boat, through the ring of the harpoon- 

 er ? s spur, and in the same act, seized the jaw bone 

 of the fish with the hook of the same instrument. 

 Before this was discovered, the kreng was set at 

 liberty, and began instantly to sink. The har- 

 pooner then threw himself towards the boat, but 

 being firmly entangled by the foot, he fell into 

 the water. Providentially he caught the gunwale 

 of the boat with both hands; but overpowered by the 

 force of the sinking kreng, he was on the point of 

 relinquishing his grasp, when some of his compan- 

 ions got hold of his hands while others threw a rope 

 round his body. The carcass of the fisb was now 

 suspended entirely by his body, which was conse- 

 quently so dreadfully extended, that there was 

 some danger of his being drawn asunder. But such 

 was his terror of being taken under water, that 

 notwithstanding the excruciating pain he suffered, 

 he constantly cried to his companions, to " haul 

 away the rope." He remained in this dreadful state 

 until means were adopted for hooking the kreng 

 with a grapnel, and drawing it back to the surface 

 of the water. 



Process of Making Off. 



When a fish is caught, or sometimes when there 

 is a good prospect of success in the fishery, even 

 before a fish is caught, the centre of the ship's hold 

 is disencumbered of a few of its casks, to be in 



