WHALING IN THE BAY. II 9 



mistake to suppose that whales spout out 

 great volumes of water, as I remember they 

 were represented as doing in the pictures 

 in the geographies. They really spout out 

 no water at all, but the slight spray which 

 is usually seen is the water above their 

 blow-holes, which is forced into the air 

 when the whale exhales. 



It may be well right here to describe 

 the peculiar method of killing the fin-back 

 whale, the only whale common on our 

 coast. The harpoon and lance, which are 

 so effective against the sperm, right, and 

 humpback whales, are of very little avail 

 against the fin-back. This whale is long 

 and slender, and *' just made for running," 

 as an old whaler told me. When har- 

 pooned they will *' run the nails out of a 

 boat in no time," going at the rate of 

 almost a mile a minute. A few years ago 

 some young men from the town, who had 

 been foolish enough to harpoon a fin-back, 

 narrowly escaped drowning, being picked 

 up by a passing vessel just as their boat 

 was sinking. Therefore in killing this 



