WHALES AND WHALING 291 



half of these ships sailed from New Bedford, which 

 was then enjoying a period of great prosperity. 



From the small sloops of early days the vessels 

 were gradually increased in size until large barks, 

 ships, and brigs were fitted out for cruises of a year 

 or more in duration. In those days, the whalers must 

 have had indomitable courage and reckless daring to 

 enable them to carry on through the grave dangers, 

 unspeakable hardships, and heartbreaking labor 

 which came all in their day's work. 



The methods of capturing whales were much more 

 primitive than those that are now employed. In those 

 days the whalers sailed hither and yon in their large 

 barks or ships until a whale was sighted. Then the 

 most active men of the crew set out in small boats 

 and followed the whale until they caught up with it. 

 This was not so easy as it sounds, for the whales 

 swim mostly under water at considerable depths. A 

 whale comes up to blow, exhales the foul air, breathes 

 deeply several times, then sinks far below the surface 

 where he cannot be seen and swims elsewhere in 

 search of food. Meanwhile the whalers could only 

 guess which way and how far the whale would go. If 

 the whalers guessed correctly where the whale would 

 come up, they would be close enough to hurl a har- 

 poon into its enormous hulk. Occasionally the whale 

 rose directly under the small boat, smashing it to 

 pieces and throwing the occupants into the icy water. 

 The harpoon seldom seriously injured the whale, but 

 enabled the whalers to retain hold of the whale by 

 means of a rope attached both to the harpoon and 

 the boat. Often the whale would swim away and tow 



