WHALERS OF LONG AGO 19 



were mingled, or that the whale's force should be too violent; 

 which notwithstanding having found the bottom, and being 

 able to go no further, she mounteth up again leisurely above the 

 water; and then again she is set upon with glave-staves, or 

 pertuisans, very sharp, so hotly that the salt-water piercing 

 within her flesh she loseth her force, and remaineth there. 

 Then one tieth her to a cable at whose end is an anchor which is 

 cast into the sea, then at the end of six or eight days they go to 

 fetch her, when time and opportunity permits it they cut her in 

 pieces, and in great kettles do seeth the fat which melteth itself 

 into oyl, wherewith they may fill four hundred hogsheads, some- 

 times more, and sometimes less, according to the greatness of the 

 beast, and of the tongue commonly they draw five, yea six hogs- 

 heads full of train. 



"If this be admirable in us, that have industry, it is more 

 admirable in the Indian people, naked and without artificial 

 instruments; and nevertheless they execute the same thing, 

 which is recited by Joseph Acosta, saying that for to take those 

 great monsters they put themselves in a canoe or bark, made of 

 the barks of trees, and boarding the whale they leap nimbly 

 on her neck, and there do stand, as it were on horse-back, at- 

 tending the fit means to take her, and seeing their opportunity, 

 the boldest of them putteth a strong and sharp staff, which he 

 carrieth with him, into the gap of the whale's nostrils (I call 

 nostril the conduit, or hole through which they breathe) forth- 

 with he thrusteth it in far with another very strong staff, and 

 maketh it to enter in as deep as he can. In the mean while the 

 whale beateth the sea furiously, and raiseth up mountains of 

 water, diving down with great violence, then mounteth up 

 again not knowing what to do through very rage. The Indian 

 notwithstanding remaineth still sitting fast, and for to pay her 

 home for this trouble, fixeth yet another staff in the other nos- 

 tril, making it to enter in, in such wise that it stoppeth her wind 

 quite, and taketh away her breath, and cometh again into his 

 canoe, which he holdeth tied at the side of the whale with a 

 cord, then retireth himself on land, having first tied his cord 

 to the whale, which he bereth out on her; which whilst she 



