THE AMERICAN WHALE-FISHERY. 259 
at some port to obtain fresh supplies ; and sometimes the season's catch of oil is 
discharged or reshipped before she returns to the Arctic cruising -grounds. Cali- 
fornia bay and kelp whaling has been a peculiar feature of the fishery. The whales 
there pursued are a distinct species of the baleen tribe, whose natural history is 
given in this work, under the head of "The California Gray Whale." They arc the 
most dangerous of all whales to attack, and, compared with the number of ships 
which formerly engaged in their capture, more casualties have occurred than in 
any other branch of whaling, many men having lost their lives, while others have 
been irrecoverably crippled. But we have never yet learned of any place of resort 
for whales which can possibly be approached, either by ship or boat, that has not 
been the scene of slaughter by their human captors. Many whaling -masters — after 
buffeting the gales and ice of the Arctic regions — have hurriedly fled to this 
inland whaling -ground on the California coast, and in order to reach the most 
advantageous localities, far up the shallow estuaries, lightened and careened their 
vessels, and by means of their heavy ground -tackle forced them across shoals 
which were nearly bare at low tide. The difficulty and danger connected with 
this fishery seems to have lured on many a reckless and venturesome spirit to the 
encounter, which has been appropriately named "devil -fishing," and the successful 
whaler is christened a good "devil -fisherman." While engaged for six years in 
whaling, sealing, and Sea Elephant expeditions upon the coast of California and 
Mexico, we passed the winter seasons in lagoon or bay whaling, and our experience 
in the capture of the California Grays may serve as an outline picture of whaling- 
life in those inland waters. 
LAGOON -WHALING. 
When arrived in the lagoons, a suitable anchorage is selected, and the ship is 
moored for the season ; the heavy sails are unbent, and much of the running 
rigging unrove, landed and housed under canvas, together with shooks, spare 
lumber, etc., so as to clear the ship of cumbersome materials not required until 
the vessel is nearly filled with oil or the season is over. The "tender" is fitted 
for cutting -in the whales, the cutting -gear of the ship is sent aloft, and with the 
cutting- stage placed over the side, preparations for the slaughter are completed. 
When sufficient numbers have assembled at the head -waters of the estuaries, the 
boats are lowered in pursuit. A cow with a young calf is usually selected, so 
that the parent animal may be easily struck ; yet the race is sometimes so pro- 
longed as to nearly exhaust the boats' crews ; and when at last the creature lags, 
