WHALE FISHERY. 427 



ed the mouth. It consists simply of a doul/ly barbed 

 point. The slender part, marked s, connecting this with 

 the handle, is of very ductile iron, so as to bend and 

 twist in any direction by the efforts of the whale, without 

 breaking. A very flexible but strong rope is attached 

 to the harpoon. It is of great length and one end is re- 

 tained in the boat. In addition to the harpoon, there-is 

 a lance, which is a spear of iron, with a very sharp steel 

 point. It is used for finally despatching the whale, after 

 he is almost exhausted in the contest. 



PROCEEDINGS ON FISHING STATIONS. 



Discovery of the Whale. On fishing stations, when 

 the weather is such as to render the fishing practicable, 

 he boats are always ready for inst;;nt service. Suspend- 

 ed from davits or cranes by the side of the ship, furnish- 

 ed with the requisite implements, two boats at least, the 

 crews of which are always in readiness, can in a general 

 way, be manned and lowered into the water, within the 

 space of one minute of time. 



Wherever there is a probability of seeing whales, when 

 the weather and situation are such as to piesent a possi- 

 bility of capturing them, the croivsncst,as it is called, i. e. 

 a station at the mast head, is generally occupied by the 

 master or some of the officers, who, commanding from 

 thence an extensive prospect of the surrounding sea, 

 keeps with the assistance of a telescope, an anxious watch 

 for the appearance of a whale. The moment that a fish* 

 is seen, he gives notice to the ' watch upon deck,' part 

 of whom leap into a boat, are lowered down, and push 

 off towards the place. If the fish be large, a second 

 boat is immediately despatched to the support of the other. 

 When the whale again appears for if he has gone down 

 he must soon come up again to breathe, two boats row 

 towards it with the utmost speed ; and though they may 

 be disappointed in their attempts, they generally continue 

 their pursuit until the fish either takes the alarm, and es- 

 capes them, or they are recalled by signal to the ship. 

 When two or more fish appear at the same time in differ- 

 ent situations, the number of boats sent in pursuit is in- 



