PROCEEDINGS IN CAPTURING THE WHALE. 243 



The moment that the wounded whale disappears, 

 or leaves the boat, a jack or flag, elevated on a staff, 

 is displayed ; on sight of which, those on watch in 

 the ship, give the alarm, hy stamping on the deck, 

 accompanied by a simultaneous and continued shout 

 of " a fall *." At the sound of this, the sleeping 

 crew are roused, jump from their t^ds, rush up- 

 on deck, with their clothes tied by a string in their 

 hands, and crowd into the boats. With a temperature 

 of Zero, should Si fall occur, the crew would appear 

 upon deck, shielded only by their drawers, stockings, 

 and shirts, or other habiliments in which they sleep. 

 They generally contrive to dress themselves, in 

 part at least, as the boats are loxvei'cd down ; but 

 sometimes they push off in the state in which they 

 rise fi'om tlicir beds, row away towards the " fast 

 boat," and have no opportunity of clothing them- 

 selves for a length of time afterwards. The alarum 

 of " a fall," has a singular effect on the feelings of 

 a sleeping person, unaccustomed to the whale-fish- 

 ing business. It has often been mistaken as a cry 

 of distress. A landsman, in a Hull ship, seeing 

 the crew, on an occasion of a fall, rush upon deck. 



* The wovd fall, as well as many others used in the fishery, 

 is derived from the Dutch language. In the original it is 

 written val, implying jump, drop, fall, and is considered as 

 expressive of the conduct of the sailors, when munidng the 

 l»oats on au occasion requiring extreme dispatch. 



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