198 Our North Land. 



the course, and the boat with muffled oars puts away toward the 

 whale, and, after cruising about for several hours, it may be, the 

 giant comes to the surface to blow, perhaps within a hundred yards 

 of the hunters. He generally remains partly out of the water five 

 or ten minutes, so that there is time to get the boat into position. 

 The swivel gun is turned upon him and discharged, sending into his 

 side a harpoon, some two feet, to which is attached a line six hundred 

 and twenty fathoms long. The harpoon is about eighteen inches or 

 two feet long. The stock is inserted in the muzzle of the gun, and 

 the line is fastened to a ring at one side. The barbed point of the 

 deadly weapon projects from the gun some ten or twelve inches. 

 Fourteen fathoms of the line are left loose, in a proper coil, so that 

 the harpoon will be impeded as little as possible. If they have 

 succeeded in making fast to the whale, which generally makes off 

 under water, the line is payed out with the friction of two turns 

 round the " bullet head," and a small flag, called the " boat's jack," 

 is sent up as a signal indicating the situation to the ship. 



Meanwhile the captain has taken up his position in the " crow's 

 nest," and as soon as the signal is given he gives the word from the 

 look-out, " a fall ! " This is taken up by the cook or others on deck ; 

 and, for a minute, all are shouting " a fall ! " " a fall ! " and all are 

 rushing for the boats. Should the men be in their berths, no time 

 is allowed for dressing. They sleep with their clothes on, and with 

 such extra garments as they may require in a small bag attached to 

 their persons by a rope, so that when the word is given they require 

 only to jump for the boats. Each man knows his station in one 

 of the six boats sent out on " a fall ! " The helmsmen, the oarsmen, 

 the lancers, and the harpooners, are each and all at their posts, while 

 with muffled oars they speed away toward the struggling whalers 

 in the first boat sent out, leaving on ship-board only the captain, the 

 cook, and one or two sailors. 



The great object of these assisting boats is to get as near the 

 whale as possible when he comes to the surface, and to discharge the 

 contents of their harpoon gims into his sides, so as to secure him by 

 additional lines. A premium is placed upon this work to the extent 

 of one dollar a man for each harpoon inserted. The assisting boats 



