PROCEEDINGS AFTEH A WHALE IS KILLED. S9S 



away, the fish meanwhile lying as if dead. To the 

 surprise and great alarm, however, of the sailors, it 

 revived, began to move, and pressed forward in a con- 

 vulsive agitation ; soon after it sunk in the water to 

 some depth, and then died. One line fortunate- 

 ly remained attached to it, by v^^hich it was di-awn 

 to the surface and secured. 



On a former occasion, my hai-pooners had killed 

 a fish and cut off the lines, when, though actually 

 dead, it, being less buoyant than whales usually are, 

 immediately sunk. It would have been altogether 

 lost, had not one of the harpooners, with great pre- 

 sence of mind and alacrity, seized a harpoon, and 

 driven it vvith a powerful stroke under water, which 

 had the good fortune to penetrate the head, though 

 one of the most difficult parts to pierce, whereby the 

 fish was recovered. 



A fish being properly secured, is then " taken 

 in tow ;" that is, all the boats join themselves in 

 a line, by ropes always carried for the purpose, and 

 unite their efforts in rowing towards the ship. The 

 couise of the ship in the mean time, is usually di- 

 rected towards the boats. But in calms, or when 

 the ship is moored to the ice at no great distance, 

 or when the situation of the fish is inconvenient or 

 inaccessible, the ship awaits the approach of the fish. 

 Towing a fish is usually considered a cheerful^ 

 though laborious operation, and is generally pei'- 



