WHALE-FISHERY. 181 



a second boat upon those of the boat from which 

 the fish is struck. This operation consists in fixing 

 other lines to those of the fast-boat at some distance 

 from the harpoon, so that there is only one harpoon 

 and one line immediately attached to the fish, but 

 the double strength of a line from the place of their 

 junction to the boats. Hence, should fish flee di- 

 rectly into the ice, and proceed to an inaccessible 

 distance, the two boats, bearing an equalstra in on 

 each of their lines, can at pleasure draw the har- 

 poon, or break the single part of the line immedi- 

 ately connected with it, and in either case, secure 

 themselves against any considerable loss. 



When a pack, for its compactness, prevents boats 

 from penetrating, the men travel over the ice, leap- 

 ing from piece to piece, in pursuit of the entangled 

 whale. In this pursuit, they carry lances with them 

 and sometimes harpoons, with which, whenever 

 they can approach the fish, they attack it, and if 

 they succeed in killing it, they drag it towards the 

 exterior margin of the ice, by means of the line 

 fastened to the harpoon with which it was origin- 

 ally struck. In such cases, it is generally an object 

 of importance to sink it beneath the ice; for effect- 

 ing which purpose, each lobe of the tail is divided 

 from the body, excepting a small portion of the edge, 

 from which it hangs pendulous in the water. If it 

 still floats, bags of sand, kedges or small cannon, 

 are suspended by a block on the bight of the line, 

 wherewith the buoyancy of the dead whale is usu- 



