The Common, or Greenland Whale. 403 



and which form a kind of strainer, admitting only the 

 small fish on which the Whale feeds. This Whalebone 

 is one of the valuable products of the whale, though the 

 oil is most important. 



" As when enclosing harpooners assail, 

 In hyperborean seas, the slumbering Whale ; 

 Soon as the javelins pierce the scaly side, 

 He groans, he darts impetuous down the tide ; 

 And, rack'd all o'er with lacerating pain, 

 He flies remote beneath the flood in vain." 



FALCONER. 



Whales are taken in great numbers about Spitzbergen, 

 Greenland, and other northern countries by the English, 

 the Dutch, &c. Considerable fleets of ships are sent out 

 every spring for this purpose. When they begin their 

 fishery, each ship is fastened or moored with nose-hooks 

 to the ice. Two boats, each manned with six men, are 

 ordered by the commodore to look out for the coming of 

 the fish for two hours, when they are relieved by two 

 more, and so by turns ; the two boats lie at some small 

 distance from the ship, each separated from the other, 

 fastened to the ice with their boat-hooks, ready to let go 

 in an instant at the first sight of the Whale. Here the 

 dexterity of the Whale hunters is to be admired ; for as 

 soon as the animal shows itself, every man is at his oar, 

 and they all rush on the Whale with prodigious swift- 

 ness ; at the same time taking care to come behind its 

 head, that it may not see the boat, which sometimes so 

 alarms it, that it plunges down again before they have 

 time to strike it. But the greatest care is to be taken of 

 the tail, with which it many times does very great 

 damage, both to the boats and seamen. The harpooner, 

 who is placed at the head or bow of the boat, seeing the 

 back of the Whale, and making the onset, thrusts the 

 harpoon with all his might into its body by the help of 

 a staff fixed to the iron for this purpose, and leaves it in, 

 a line being fastened to it of about two inches in circum- 

 ference, and one hundred and thirty-six fathoms long. 

 Every boat is furnished with seven of these lines, from 

 the motion of which, when let run, they observe the 

 course of the Whale. 



