AT SEA: ON THE WHALING GROUNDS i6i 



enough, by means of hauling on the line, to deliver a lance 

 thrust. 



In many instances, too, the animal tried to rid itself of its 

 pursuers by sounding, sometimes going to such depths that it 

 took out more than the three hundred fathoms of whaleline 

 carried by each boat. When this occurred, a second boat "bent 

 on" with the line in its tubs, thereby taking over the pursuit j 

 and sometimes it was necessary to press a third boat into serv- 

 ice before the steady pull on the line was stopped by the whale's 

 ascent. If the tubs were emptied before another boat could 

 "bend on," it was essential to cut the line, thus losing whale, 

 harpoon, and whaleline, in order to prevent boat and equip- 

 ment from being drawn under water in the wake of the de- 

 scending leviathan. 



But whether the whale sounded or ran along the surface, 

 the energies of the boatmen were concentrated for the time 

 being on the effort to retard as much as possible the terrific rate 

 of speed at which the line was being drawn out of the tubs. 

 This was accomplished largely through the creation of fric- 

 tion. The line was led from the tubs (which were in the after 

 part of the small craft) to a heavy post in the stern, known as 

 the loggerhead. After making two or three turns around this 

 obstruction, it traversed the whole length of the boat before 

 going out through a special slit, or hole, in the bow. The 

 friction developed by the rope in flying about the heavy post 

 was often so great as to cause it to burst into flames ; and during 

 the early part of the chase, when the speed of the whale was 

 greatest, it was necessary for one man to wet the timber at fre- 

 quent intervals. 



In commenting upon the amazing rate at which whaleboats 

 were often drawn through the water, one trained observer, an 

 American naval lieutenant, said: "The boat is so much buried 

 in her rapid flight, that I have at times only been able to see 

 the persons in her, for the water on each side was thrown so 

 high as to conceal the hull from a distant observer, although 

 the sea was otherwise quite smooth." * 



The aim of the pursuers during the whole period after the 



8 Wilkes, Charles, "Narrative of the American Exploring Expedition," V, p. 

 496. 



