WHALE FISHERY. 439 



EXTRAORDINARY CASES. 



Hitherto I have only attempted to describe thn 

 method adopted for the capture of whales under 

 favorable circumstances, such as occur in open wa- 

 ter, or amongst open ice in fine weather. As however 

 this method is subject to various alterations, when the 

 situation and circumstances are peculiar, 1 shall venture 

 a few remarks on the subject. 



1. Pack Fishing. The borders of close packs of 

 drift ice, are frequently a favorite resort of large whales. 

 To attack them in such a situation subjects the fisher to 

 great risks in his lines and boats, as well as uncertainty 

 in affecting their capture. When a considerable swell 

 prevails on the borders of the ice, the whales on being 

 struck, will sometimes recede from the pack, and be- 

 come the prize of their assailers ; but most generally 

 flee to it for shelter, and frequently make their escape. 

 To guard against the loss of lines as much as possible, it 

 is pretty usual either to strike two harpoons from differ- 

 ent boats at the same moment, or to bridle the lines of a 

 second boat upon those of the boat from which the fish 

 is struck. This operation consists in fixing other lines 

 to those of the fast-boat at some distance from the har- 

 poon, so that there is only one harpoon and one line im- 

 mediately attached to the fish, but the double strength of 

 a line from the place of their junction to the boats. 

 Hence, should fish flee directly into the ice and proceed 

 to an inaccessible distance, the two boats bearing an 

 equal strain on each of their lines, can at pleasure draw 

 the harpoon, or break the sinarle part of the line imme- 

 diately connected with it, and in either case, secure 

 themselves against any considerable loss. 



When a pack, by its compactness, prevents boats from 

 penetrating, the men travel over the ice, leaping from 

 piece to piece, in pursuit of the entangled whale. In 

 this pursuit they carry lances with them and sometimes 

 harpoons, with which, whenever they can approach the 

 fish, they attack it, and if they succeed in killing it they 

 drag it towards the exterior margin of the ice, by means 

 of the line fastened to the harpoon with which it is origi- 



