356 \VHALE-FISHi:ilV. 



produced the most distressful consequences ; but 

 they do not come uuder this division of my work. 



III. The most extensive source of danger to the 

 ■whale-fisher, when actively engaged in- his occupa- 

 tion, arises from the object of his pursuit. 



Excepting wlien it has young under its pro- 

 tection, the whale generally exhibits remarkable 

 timidity of character. A bird perching on its back 

 alarms it ; hence, the greater part of the accidents 

 which happen in the course of its capture, must be 

 attributed to adventitious circumstances on the part 

 of the whale, or to mismanagement or fool-hardi- 

 ness on the part of the fishers. 



In this employment, the fisher is liable to receive 

 contusions from oars forcibly struck by the fish, or 

 from direct blows from its fins or tail ;-^he is liable 

 to aceidents, from getting entangled by the line», 

 or from the boat being drawn under water by the 

 fish, through the medium of the lines ; — and he is 

 in danger of being thrown overboard by the heeling 

 or jerking of the boat, or more particularly from the 

 boat being stove, upsety sunk, or projected into the 

 air, by the force of a blow from the whale. 



Contusions from Bloxi'S hjj the Whale. — Several 

 instances have occurred, in whicli serious accidents 

 have been occasioned by blows from the whale ei- 

 ther directly struck, or impressed through the me- 

 dium of oars. Harpooners have been struck dead 



