PROCESS OP FLENSING. 303 



boat by his side. In this situation, while he was 

 in the act of cutting tlie kreng adrift, a boy inad- 

 vertently struck the point of the boat-hook, with 

 which he usually held the boat, through the ring 

 of the harpooner's spur ; and, in the same act, seiz- 

 ed the jaw-bohe of the fish with the hook of the 

 same instrument. Before this was discovered, the 

 kreng was set at liberty, and began instantly to 

 sink. The harpooner then threw himself towards 

 the boat; but being firmly entangled by the foot, 

 he fell into the water. Providentially, he caught 

 the gunwale of the boat with his hands : but, over- 

 powered by the force of the sinking kreng, he was on 

 the point of relinquishing his grasp, when some of 

 his companions got hold of his hands, wliile others 

 threw a rope round his body. The carcass of the 

 fish was now suspended entirely by tlie poor fel- 

 low's body, which was consequently so dreadfully 

 extended, that there was some danger of his being 

 drawn asunder. But such was his terror of being 

 taken under water, and not indeed without cause, 

 for he could never have risen again, that notwith- 

 standing the excruciating pain he suffered, he con- 

 stantly cried out to his companions to " haul away 

 the rope." He remained in this dreadful state, 

 until means were adopted for hooking the kreng 

 with a grapnel, and drawing it back to the surface 

 of the water. His escape was singularly provi- 

 dential : for, had lie not caught hold of the boat as 



