220 WHALE-FISHERY. 



remain mucli longer at rest than when seen in opevi 

 water, or in the clear interstices of th€ ice, or in-^ 

 deed in almost any other situation. 



The most favourable opportunity for prosecuting 

 the fishery, commonly occurs with north, north-west, 

 or west winds. At such times, the sea near the ice is 

 almost always smooth, and the atmosphere, though 

 cloudy and dark, is generally free from fog or thick 

 snow. The fishers prefer a cloudy to a clear sky ; he- 

 cause, in very bright weather, the sea becomes illumi- 

 nated, and the shadow of the whale-boats are so deeply 

 impressed in the water by the beams of the sun, that 

 the whales are very apt to take the alarm, and 

 evade the utmost care and skill of their pursuers. 

 The severe frost with Vvrhich these winds are some- 

 times accompanied, is the principal inconvenience 

 attending them. South-east or east winds, though 

 of themselves disagreeable, on account of the thick 

 weather v^ith which they are in general accompa- 

 nied, and exceedingly dangerous, from the high swells 

 which they often occasion, when they are boisterous, 

 — have nevertheless their advantages. They crowd 

 the drift ice closely together, cause a violent agita- 

 tion among the pieces, and by these circumstances 

 either drift the ice away from the places occupied 

 ])y the whales, or so annoy them as to induce them 

 to leave their retreat and appear in the open sea. 



The nature of the circumstances most favourable 

 for fishing, will be readily understood, when it is 



