64 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



The guns used are muzzle-loaders of steel with steel-coils and mounted 

 on swivels. The length 1.2 meters and caliber 0.078. The charge 0.34 

 kilograms. They are fired at a distance of 20 to 40 meters. The gunner 

 tries to hit the whale between the ribs as near the spinal column as pos- 

 sible. 



The gun-harpoon used was invented by Mr. S vend Foyn about 1860, and 

 patented in 1882, when the patent went out in Norway. It consists of .- 



Shell, diameter . meter . . 0. 104 



Shell, length do.... 0.319 



Charge kilogram . . 0. 5 



Barb-holster, length meter. . 0. 319 



Pole, length do.... 1.307 



The shell is screwed to the barb-holster, which contains a glass filled 

 with sulphuric acid. To the pole is attached the rope, 0.143 meter in 

 circumference and 733 meters long, with a ring runniug on the pole. 

 The weight of the rope, which is of hemp, is about 1,450 kilograms. 



When the harpoon is to be used, the barbs that are pivoting are se- 

 cured to the pole by rope-yarn and the shell screwed on the holster. As 

 the number of barbs are four, the shell and the holster that turn in the 

 ring at the end of the pole when they are free, now form with the pole a 

 solid mass. When the harpoon penetrates the whale the rope-yarn 

 slips off, the -barbs turn so as to make an angle with the holster crushing 

 the glass tube, and the sulphuric acid that communicates with the 

 powder in the shell through a channel in the screw makes it explode. 



Most whales sink. When they do not sink, several whalers are of the 

 opinion that the respiratory organ is filled with coagulated blood imped- 

 ing the inhaled air in getting out again. The reason for this theory is, 

 that very little blood comes through the nostril of a whale that does 

 not sink. No hand-harpoons are used. 



The manner in which the fisherman kill the whale by means of arrows 

 and cross-bow is as follows : When a whale enters a bay the passage 

 is barred with a strong net, and the whale is shot. They let him go for 

 two or three days inside. The arrows contain no poison, but later in- 

 vestigations have led to the discovery of a peculiar bacilla, that lives on 

 arrows already used, and which poisons the blood. Only old arrows of 

 iron are esteemed, and now we know the reason why. After some days 

 the whale appears to be dying and is dispatched with knives and har- 

 poons. The flesh is eaten with the exception of the parts around the 

 wounds, where is formed a tumor. The whale ordinarily taken in this 

 manner is the Balcenoptera rostrata Fabricius. The number may amount 

 to 15 or 20 a year. 



Bergen, Norway, September 22, 1884. 



