WHALE-FISHERY. 179 



so firmly ffetween its lips, as to produce the effect 

 just stated. This circumstance took place many 

 years ago, but a similar one occurred in the year 

 1814. 



A harpooner, belonging to the Prince of Brazil, 

 of Hull, had struck a small fish. It descended, and 

 remained for some time quiet, and atlength appeared 

 to be drowned. The strain on the line being then con- 

 siderable, it was taken to the ship, with a view of 

 heaving the fish up. The force requisite for perform- 

 ing this operation, was extremely various; sometimes, 

 the line came in with ease, at others, a quantity was 

 withdrawn with great force and rapidity. As such, 

 it appeared evident that the fish was yet alive. 

 The heaving, however, was persisted in, and after 

 the greater part of the lines had been drawn on board, 

 a dead fish appeared at the surface, secured by 

 several turns of the line round its body. It was 

 disentangled with difficulty, and was confidently 

 believed to be the whale they had struck. But 

 when the line was cleared from the fish, it proved 

 to be merely the " bight," for the end still hung 

 perpendicularly downward. What was then their 

 surprise to find that it was still pulled away with 

 considerable force. The capstern was again resort- 

 ed to, and shortly afterwards, they hove up, also 

 dead, the fish originally struck, with the har- 

 poon still fast. Hence it appeared, that the fish 

 first drawn up, had got accidentally entangled with 

 the line, and in its struggles to escape, had still fin- 



