.^o6 IVHALE-I ISHERY- 



A liavpooncr belonging to the Prince of Brazils^ 

 of Hull, had struck a small fish. It descended, 

 and remained for some time quiet, and at length 

 appeared to be drowned. The strain on the line 

 being then considerable, it was taken to the ship's 

 capstern, with a view of heaving the fish up. The 

 force requisite for performing this operation, was ex- 

 tremely various ; sometimes the line came in with 

 case, at others a quantity was withdrawn with great 

 force and rapidity. As such, it appeared e\'ident, 

 that the fish was yet alive. The heaving, how- 

 ever, was persisted in, and after the greater part of 

 the lines had been drawn on board, a dead fisli ap- 

 peared at the surface, secured by several turns of 

 the line round its body. It was disentangled with 

 difficulty, and v.as confidently believed to be the 

 whale that had been struck. But when the line 

 was cleared from the fish, it proved to be merely 

 the " bight," for the end still hung perpendicular- 

 ly downward. What was then their surprise to 

 find, that it was still pulled away with consider- 

 able force ? The capstern was again resorted to, 

 and shortly afterwards they hove up, also dead, the 

 flsli originally struck, with the liarpoon still fast ! 

 Hence it appeared, that the fish first drav.ii up had 

 got accidentally entangled with the line, and in its 

 struggles to escape, had still further involved itself, 

 by winding the line repeatedly round its body. The 

 first fish entangled, as w^as suspected, had long been 



