128 WHALE FISHEKV. 



creased, and sometimes all the boats are sent out. Dur- 

 ing fine weather, in situations where whales are seen, or 

 where they have recently been seen, or where there is a 

 great probability of any making their appearance, a boat 

 is generally kept in readiness, manned and afloat. If the 

 ship sails with considerable velocity, this boat is towed 

 by a rope astern ; but when the ship is pretty still, 

 whether moored to ice, laid to, or sailing in light winds, 

 the ' bran boat,' as it is called, often pushes off to a 

 little distance from the ship. A boat on watch commonly 

 lies still in some eligible situation with all its oars elevat- 

 ed out of the water, but in readiness, in the hands of the 

 rowers, for immediate use. 



The harpooner and boat steerer keep a careful watch 

 on all sides, while each of the rowers looks out in the 

 direction of his oar. Thus the whole horizon is under 

 close observation. In fishing near fields of ice, the boats 

 approach the ice with their sterns, and are each of them 

 fastened to it by means of a boat hook, or an iron spike 

 with a cord attached, either of which is held by the boat 

 steerer, and is slipped or withdrawn the moment a whale 

 appears. There are several rules observed in approach- 

 ing a whale, as precautions, to prevent, as far as possible, 

 the animal from taking the alarm. 



As the whale is dull of hearing, but quick of sight, 

 the boat steerer always endeavors to get behind it ; and, 

 in accomplishing this, he is sometimes justified in taking 

 a circuitous route. In calm weather the greatest caution 

 is necessary, before a whale can be reached ; smooth, 

 careful rowing, is always requisite, and sometimes scull- 

 ing is practised. 



A whale *seldom abides longer on the water than two 

 minutes, and it generally remains from five, to ten or fif- 

 teen minutes under water. During this interval, it 

 sometimes moves through a space of half a mile or more, 

 and the fisher has very rarely any certain intimation of 

 the place in which it will reappear. Consequently, the 

 difficulty and address requisite to approach sufficiently 

 near, during its short stay on the surface, to harpoon it, 

 is very great. 



It is, therefore, a primary consideration with the har- 



