368 WllALE-FISHEllV. 



but soon after liis arrival on board of the ship, he 

 recovered from the effects of tlie accident. The rest 

 of the boat's crew escaped without any hurt. 



Captain Lyons of the Raith of Leith, while prose- 

 cuting the wliale-fishery on the Labrador coast, in 

 the season of 1802, discovered a large whale at a 

 short distance ii-oni the ship. Four boats were dis- 

 patched in pursuit, and two of them succeeded in 

 approaching it so closely together, that two harpoons 

 were struck at the same moment. The fish descend- 

 ed a few fathoms in the direction of another of tlie 

 boats, which was on tlie advance, rose accidentally 

 beneath it, struck it with its head, and threw the 

 boat, men and apparatus, about fifteen feet into the 

 air. It was inverted by the stroke, and fell into the 

 water with its keel upwards. ^\il the people were 

 picked up a\i\e by the fourth boat, which was just at 

 hand, excepting one man, who having got entang- 

 led in the boat» fell beneath it, and was unfortu- 

 nately drowned. Tlie fish was soon afterwards killed. 

 The engraving which forms tlie frontispiece to tliis 

 volume, executed from an original drawing by James 

 Waddel, Esq., is illustrative of this accident. 



