190 WHALE-FISHERY. 



of the harpooners in the boat, and on their occasion- 

 ally taking the benefit of a hummock of ice, from 

 the elevation of which the fish may sometimes be 

 seen u blowing" in the interstices of the ice; on 

 pushing or rowing the boats with the greatest imagi- 

 nable celerity, towards the place where the fish may 

 have been seen; and, lastly, on the exercise of the 

 highest degree of activity and despatch in every 

 proceeding. 



If these means be neglected, the fish will gene- 

 rally have taken his breath, renewed its strength, 

 and removed to some other quarter, before the arrival 

 of the boats; and it is often remarked, that if there 

 be one part of the ice more crowded or more diffi- 

 cult of access than another, it commonly retreats 

 thither for refuge. In such cases, the sailors find 

 much difficulty in getting to it with their boats, 

 having to separate many pieces of ice before they 

 can pass through between them. But when it is 

 not practicable to move the jpieces, and when they 

 can not travel over them, they must either drag the 

 boats across the intermediate ice, or perform an ex- 

 tensive circuit, before they can reach the opposite 

 side of the close ice, into which the whale has 

 retreated. 



A second harpoon, in this case, as indeed in all 

 others, is a material point. They proceed to lance 

 whenever a second harpoon is struck, and strike 

 more harpoons as the auxiliary boats progressively 

 arrive at the place. 



