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A HISTORY OF 



as the beginning of the fourteenth century, 

 the Biscayneers were in possession of a very 

 considerable trade to the coast of Greenland. 

 The Dutch and the English followed them 

 thither, and soon took that branch of com- 

 merce out of their hands. The English com- 

 menced the business about the beginning of 

 the seventeenth century; and the town of Hull 

 had the honour of first attempting that pro- 

 fitable branch of trade. But, at present, it 

 seems upon the decline, as the quantity of 

 fish are so greatly reduced, by the constant 

 capture for such a vast length of time. It is 

 now said that the fishers, from a defect of 

 whales, apply themselves to the seal-fishery ; 

 yet, as these animals are extremely timorous, 

 they will soon be induced to quit those shores, 

 where they meet such frequent disturbance 

 and danger. The poor natives of Greenland 

 themselves, who used to feed upon the whale, 

 are diminishing, in proportion as their sus- 

 tenance is removed ; and, it is probable, that 

 the revolution of a few years will see that 

 extensive coast totally deserted by its inha- 

 bitants, as it is already nearly deserted by the 

 whales. 



The art of taking whales, like most others, 

 is much improved by time, and differs in many 

 respects from that practised by the Biscay- 

 neers, when they first frequented the icy sea. 

 But as the description of their method is the 

 least complicated, and consequently the ea- 

 siest understood, it will be best suited to our 

 purpose. 



For this navigation, the Biscayneers, in 

 favourable seasons, fitted out thirty ships, of 

 two hundred and fifty tons each, with fifty 

 choice men apiece, and a few boys. These 

 were stored with six months' provision ; and 

 each ship had its boats, which were to be ser- 

 viceable when come to the place of duty. 

 When arrived at the part where the whales 

 are expected to pass to the southward, they 

 always keep their sails set, and a sailor is pla- 

 ced at the mast head, to give information when 

 he spies a whale. As soon as he discovers 

 one, the whole crew are instantly in employ- 

 ment: they fit out their boats, and row away 

 to where the whale was seen. The harpoon- 

 er, who is to strike the fish, stands at the prow 

 of the boat, with an harpoon or javelin in 

 his hand, five or six feet long, pointed with 



steel like the barb of an arrow, of a triangu- 

 lar shape. As this person's place is that of 

 the greatest dexterity, so also it is of the great- 

 est danger: the whale sometimes overturns 

 the boat with a blow of its tail; or drives 

 against it with fury. In general, however, 

 the animal seems to sleep on the surface of 

 the water : while the boat is approaching, the 

 harpooner stands aloft, and with his harpoon 

 tied to a cord of several hundred fathom 

 length, darts it into the animal, and then rows 

 as fast as possible away. It is some time be- 

 fore the whale seems to feel the blow ; the 

 instrument has usually pierced no deeper 

 than the fat, and that being insensible, the 

 animal continues for a while motionless ; but 

 soon roused from its seeming lethargy, as the 

 shaft continues to pierce deeper and deeper 

 into the muscular flesh, it flies off with ama- 

 zing rapidity. In the mean time, the har- 

 poon sticks in its side, while the rope, which 

 is coiled up in the boat, and runs upon a swi- 

 vel, lengthens as the whale recedes, but still 

 shows the part of the deep to which it has re- 

 treated. The cord is coiled up with great 

 care; for such is the rapidity with which it 

 runs off, that if it was but the least checked, 

 as it yields with the animal's retreat, it would 

 infalliby overset the boat, and the crew would 

 go to the bottom. It sometimes happens also, 

 that the rapidity wilh which it runs over the 

 swivel at the edge of the boat, heats it, and 

 it would infallibly take fire, did not a man 

 stand continually with a wet mop in his hand, 

 to cool the swivel as the cord runs. The 

 whale having dived to a considerable depth, 

 remains at the bottom, sometimes for near 

 half an hour, with the harpoon in its body, 

 and then rises to take breath, expecting the 

 danger over; but the instant it appears, they 

 are all with their boats ready to receive it, 

 and fling the harpoons into its body; the ani- 

 mal again dives and again rises, while they 

 repeat their blows. The ship follows in full 

 sail, like all the rest, never losing sight of the 

 boats, and ready to lend them assistance ; the 

 whole ocean seems dyed in blood. Thus they 

 renew their attacks, till the whale begins to 

 be quite enfeebled and spent, when they 

 plunge their longer spears into various parts 

 of its body, and the enormous animal expires 

 When it is dead, to prevent it from sinking 



