WHALING 527 



an awkward position with no injury. One of the ' loose ' boats 

 got a second harpoon into her the first time she rose, and she 

 was soon despatched by lances. 



There is a very good story told of an old Scotch harpooneer 

 racing for a fish against a ' Dutchman ' as Scotch whalers call 

 all foreigners. Finding that the ' Dutchman,' who was leading 

 slightly, was likely to get first up to the fish, he jumped up, 

 seized his harpoon, and yelling out ' A whaul ! ' or ' A Dutch- 

 man ! ' hurled it slightly in front of the other boat, indeed so 

 near that, to avoid the iron striking the boat or one of its 

 occupants, the boat-steerer was forced to take the boat out of 

 the way. It is probable that the ' Dutchmen ' did not under- 

 stand a word of what was shouted, but a harpoon so near them 

 they did understand, and left the old Scotchman to secure his 

 fish in peace. 



Here is one instance of many to show how necessary it is to 

 keep away from a fish's tail. In the year 1862 the Lady franklin 

 was fishing in Cumberland Gulf. One day, two fish appearing, 

 a couple of boats were sent off in pursuit, when the skipper 

 got fast to a fish which sounded, taking sixty fathoms of 

 line. When she rose the ' loose ' boat fastened her with a 

 second harpoon, but as the weapon struck her she sounded 

 (an expression used when the fish dives to the bottom), 

 and with her tail upset the boat, throwing the crew into the 

 water. 



The crew of the other boat begged the skipper to cut the 

 line and rescue the men in the water ; but whilst he was hesitat- 

 ing what to do, not liking to lose so valuable a prize, the fish 

 made in the direction of the men, and when the boat reached 

 their vicinity a considerable portion of the slack of the line was 

 thrown overboard, which arrested the boat's way sufficiently 

 long to save all but the boat-steerer, who could not swim, and 

 for the moment was thought to be drowned, until some one 



