36 PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OP 



that these are a diiferent species. There is little doubt, however, of their be- 

 ing young whales of the same species, as their blubber is close and fine, pro- 

 ducing but little oil in proportion to size of body, as is the case with all calves 

 or young whales of every description.* 



BowHEAD Whaling. 



In the Arctic and about Behring Sea the whalmg is done from the ship, as it is 

 termed, i. «., the vessels cruise and the look-out is kept aloft as usual, and 

 when whales are seen, the boats are lowered and the pursuit is carried on in 

 sight from the ship, unless obscured by fog. In the Okhotsk much of the whal- 

 ing is about the bays, particularly Tchantar Bay, and contiguous waters. The 

 nature of the enterprise is such, in these localities, that the modus operandi ia 

 quite different. 



Vessels bound to Tchantar Bay endeavor to approach the land of Aian if the 

 ice will permit, which is generally sufficiently broken and scattered by the 20th 

 of June; then, working along between the ice and the Siberian coast to the 

 southward as far as practicable with the ships, they dispatch boats to follow 

 along the shore and if possible to reach the head of Tchantar Bay, where 

 whales in former years were expected to be found in large numbers. These 

 boat expeditions were attended with excessive labor, much exposure, as well 

 as risk to the crews. Frequent instances have been known of boats leaving 

 the ships off Aian, then threading their way along the coast, between the 

 masses of ice, or between the ice and shore, as the ebb or flood tides would 

 permit, till they reached the head of Tchantar Baj'. As soon as arrived there, 

 finding whales plenty they would immediately commence whaling, and by the 

 time the ships arrived, in several instances, whales enough had been taken to 

 yield 1000 barrels of oil. The elapsed time from leaving the ship till again 

 joining the vessel in the bay would vary from one to three weeks. All this 

 time the boats' crews lived in or around their boats, beng afloat when making 

 the passage or when engaged in whaling ; and when driven to the shore by the 

 ice or by stormy weather, or resorting thither to cook their food or sleep, the 

 boats are hauled up and turned partially over for shelter, and tents are pitched 

 with the sails. Fallen trees or drift wood furnish abundance of fuel, and by a 

 rousing fire all sleep soundly when opportunity offers; but if whales are in 

 abundance, the less sleep for the whalemen, in those high latitudes, where day- 

 light lasts nearly the twenty-four hours of each day during the summer. 



Tchantar Bay Whaling. 



Arrived on the ground, whales being plenty, all surplus provisions and out- 

 fits are quickly landed, and the chase begins. Frequent spouts in the air tell 

 that the animals are all around. One of the number breaks the smooth surface 

 of the water, between the land and ice, and is at once pursued, but before the 

 boat can reach within dai'ting or shooting distance, perhaps, the animal goes 

 down. Then comes an impatient waiting for it to rise agairf. As the Bowhead 

 is irregular in its course, when next seen it may be in\anotber direction. 

 Quickly the boat is headed for it, and before approaching near enough the 

 whale goes down again. In this way the chase is frequently prolonged, some- 

 times abandoned and other whales pursued ; or, it may be, when nearly within 

 ■.reach the animal glides under a floe of ice, and evades his pursuers ; or, if har- 



have taken them have observed that the spout-holes are usually higher than on those not 

 having the bunch. This statement is corroborated by Capt. Swift. [The figures do not 

 present any characters to distinguish this whale from the common bowhead"— Ei>.] 



* Capt. Roys is of the opinioji tliat the Bowheads breed but slowly. Bloreover his obser- 

 vations of many years in northern whaling goes to shovv' that the young of this species 

 suck but a short tune compared witli other cetaceous animals. 



This opinion seems quite eoDclusive when we compare the immense head and long bal- 

 leen of even the smallest individuals with those of other species, as though nature had 

 provided them with immensely capacious moutlis to gather insect food instead of draw- 

 ing sustenance from tjie dam. 



[April, 



