WHALE-FISHERY. 177 



operation, it is usual to guard against such an event 

 by resisting its descent with a light strain on the 

 line, and also by hauling upon the line, the moment 

 its descent is stopped, with a view of irritating the 

 wound, and occasioning such a degree of paiu, as 

 may induce it to return to the surface, wiiere it can 

 be killed and secured without further trouble. Sel- 

 dom more than two harpoons are struck into an un- 

 der size whale. 



The ease with which some whales are subdued, 

 and the slightuess of the entanglement by which 

 they are taken, is truly surprising; but with others 

 it is equally astonishing, that neither line nor har- 

 poon, nor any number of each, is sufficiently strong 

 to effect their capture. Many instances have oc- 

 curred where whales have escaped, from four, five, 

 or even more harpoons, while fish, equally large, 

 have been killed through the medium of a single 

 harpoon. Indeed, whales have been taken in con- 

 sequence of the entanglement of a line, without any 

 harpoon at all; though, when such a case lias occur- 

 red, it has evidently been the result of accident. The 

 following instances are in point. 



A whale was struck from one of the boats of the 

 ship Nautilus, in Davis's Straits. It was killed, 

 and as is usual after the capture, it was disentangled 

 of the line connected with the " first fast- boat," by 

 dividing it at the splice of the foreganger, within 

 eight or nine yards of the harpoon. The crew of 

 the boat from which the fish was first struck, in the 



Vol. III. S3 



