2o8 The Story of the New England Whalers 



"I have seen the shanks of harpoons that have 

 been twisted into the most questionable shapes 

 by the actions of dying whales; some had com- 

 plete circles or loops bent into them, and none 

 of the instruments could be used again until 

 forged anew. When the whale is towing the boat 

 the shanks of the harpoons, usually the portions 

 known as the necks, are sometimes reduced in 

 diameter by tractile force. That the fibres of 

 cold iron can be drawn out in this manner has 

 been doubted by sceptics, but it does not seem 

 improbable to persons who are familiar with the 

 ductility of metals, or with the great strain brought 

 to bear upon the harpoon when a boat is towed 

 through a heavy sea, and more particularly 

 when a harpoon is fastened under the rib of a 

 whale. I have seen very interesting specimens 

 of this character, and in the fall of 1882 I sent 

 three stretched harpoons to the National Museum. 

 Sometimes the harpoon breaks, and the portion 

 which remains in the whale may be long after- 

 wards cut out by the crew of the same or another 

 vessel. Owing to the marks, the instrument 

 may be easily identified. The wound becomes 



