Apparatus and Methods of Capture. 83 
In 1846 one Robert Allen of Norwich, Conn., invented - 
the first bomb lance, to kill whales by explosives instead 
of by the old hand lance thrust into the vital parts of the 
whale.’ Used with a bomb gun, firing the missile from 
greater distances, the bomb lance became a much more 
effective means of killing whales than had ever before 
been available. There have been several types of bomb 
lances and bomb guns. Of the latter some of the best 
known are the original muzzle-loading “Brand” gun, 
the Pierce & Eggers gun—probably the most popular and 
effective gun ever introduced, and the Cunningham and 
Cogan gun, largely used by the steam whaling vessels in 
the Arctic regions.4 With these guns bomb lances of 
varying sizes are used, a common length being about 
twenty-one inches, while the diameter and the size of the 
charge depends on the particular gun employed. 
The increasing scarcity and shyness of whales, combined 
with the desire for sure and more ready means of killing 
whales, resulted in the invention of the whaling gun and 
bomb lance. In the same way the exigencies of Arctic 
whaling led to still further perfection of whaling imple- 
ments. After the introduction of the bomb lance it had 
been the custom” to fasten to the whale with the harpoon, 
and then from a safe distance to kill it with a bomb lance. 
Hand lancing had almost gone out of practice by 1875.% 
By that time, however, Arctic whaling had become 
important and profitable. The great baleen or bowhead 
whale gave excellent bone as well as oil that was next in 
quality to sperm oil. But when fastened to with a 
common harpoon the whales might succeed in getting 
under the ice before there was any chance to kill them, 
even with the bomb gun. As a result, many valuable 
whales, as well as much fishing apparatus was lost. The 
3 Goode, p. 253. 
Goode, p. 253. 
8 Goode, p. 254. 
18 Scammon, p. 228. 
