CETACEOUS FISHES. 249 



seventeenth century ; and the town of Hull had the honour of first 

 attempting that profitable 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 dis- 

 turbance and danger. The poor natives of Greenland themselves, 

 who used to feed upon the whale, are diminishing, in proportion as 

 their sustenance is removed ; and, it is probable, that the revolution 

 of a few years will see that extensive coast totally deserted by its in- 

 habitants, 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 methods is the least complicated, and consequently the easiest 

 understood, it will be best suited to our purpose. 



For this navigation, the Biscayneers, in favourable seasons, fitted 

 out fnirty 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 serviceable 

 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 placed at the mast-head, to give information 

 when he spies a whale. As soon as he discovers one, the whole crew 

 are instantly in employment : they fit out their boats, and row away 

 to where the whale was seen. The harpooner, who is to strike the 

 fish, stands at the prow of the boat, with a harpoon or javelin in his 

 hand, five or six feet long, pointed with steel like the barb of an ar- 

 row, of a triangular shape. As this person's place is that of the 

 greatest dexterity, so also it is the greatest danger : the whale some- 

 times overturns the boat with a blow of its tail, and sometimes 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 fathoms length, 

 darts it into the animal, and then rows as fast as possible away. It 

 is some time before 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 amazing rapidity. In the 

 mean time, the harpoon sticks in its side, while the rope, which is 

 coiled up in the boat, and runs upon a swivel, lengthens as the whale 

 recedes, but still shows the part of the deep to which it has retreated. 

 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 infallibly overset the boat, and the crew 

 would go to the bottom. It sometimes happens also, that the rapid- 

 ity with 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 



