WHALE FISHERY. 437 



turn to the surface, where it can be killed and secured 

 without further trouble. Seldom more than two harpoons 

 are struck into an under size whale. 



The ease with which some whales are subdued, and 

 the slightness of the entanglement by which they are ta- 

 ken, is truly surprising; but with others it is equally as- 

 tonishing, that neither line nor harpoon, nor any number 

 of each, is sufficiently strong to effect their capture. 

 Many instances have occurred where whales have escap- 

 ed, from four, five, or even more harpoons, while fish, 

 equally large, have been killed through the medium of a 

 single harpoon. Indeed, whales have been taken in con- 

 sequence of the entanglement of a line, without any har- 

 poon at all ; though, when such a case has occurred, it 

 has evidently been the result of accident. The follow- 

 ing instances are in point. 



A whale was struck from one of the boats of the ship 

 Nautilus in Davis's Straits. It was killed, and as is usual 

 after the capture, it was disentangled of the line con- 

 nected with the first 'fast-boat,' by dividing it within 

 eight or nine yards of the harpoon. The crew of the 

 boat from which the fish was first struck, in the mean- 

 time were employed in heaving in the lines, by means of 

 a crank fixed in the boat for the purpose, which they 

 progressively effected for some time. On a sudden, how- 

 ever, to their great astonishment, the lines were pulled 

 away from them, with the same force and violence, as by 

 a whale when first struck. 



They repeated their signal indicative of a whale be- 

 ing struck ; their shipmates flocked towards them, and 

 while every one expressed a similar degree of astonish- 

 ment with themselves, they all agreed that a fish was fast 

 to the line. In a few minutes, they were agreeably con- 

 firmed in their opinion, and relieved from suspense, by 

 the rising of a large whale close by them, exhausted 

 with fatigue, and having every appearance of a fast-fish. 

 It permitted itself to be struck by several harpoons at 

 once, and was speedily killed. On examining it after 

 death, to discover the cause of such an interesting 

 accident, they found the line, belonging to the above 

 mentioned boat, in its mouth, where it was still firmly 

 VOL. i. NO. xvin. 39 



