2io The Story of the New England Whalers 



Mr. James Durbee, the veteran harpoon maker 

 of New Bedford, show that from 1828 to 1868 

 he made and sold 58,517 harpoons." During 

 that long period there were from eight to ten 

 other harpoon makers in that one port, and all 

 were kept busy. 



Every whale boat that was lowered carried 

 two "live" harpoons, the two that were secured 

 to the whale line ready for use. One of these 

 live irons was fastened to the end of the whale 

 line. The other one carried a short line the 

 loose end of which was looped around the main 

 line. The harpooner threw the first iron into 

 the whale. Then he picked up the second iron 

 and tried to throw that into the whale, also. If 

 he failed, he threw it overboard to get it out of 

 the way; for if jerked over by the plunging whale, 

 there was no telling what damage it might do 

 as it was going. Thereafter this harpoon rode 

 on the main line ; it was usually seen, dragging in 

 the water just under the bow of the boat, where 

 it justified the adjective "live" that was applied 

 to it. 



Besides the live irons each boat carried two 



