98 WANDERINGS AND MEMORIES 



to Thorshavn the possibilities of a capture, the 

 state of the sea, the number of whales and boats 

 required for the chase. When a really big school 

 is sighted the excitement in Thorshavn and the 

 surrounding district is intense, and all make a 

 great rush for the boats, men, women, and even 

 children joining in the strife for first place. A big 

 whale hunt is the great event of the year, and when, 

 after hours of skilful manoeuvring, the scared 

 Cetaceans are finally driven on to the beach, the 

 whole population goes mad with the lust of 

 slaughter. Men and women, even quite young 

 girls, often spring from the boats, and, standing 

 in the water, lance the maddened whales with 

 their harpoons and killing-knives. Accidents 

 rarely happen, though occasionally a whale in its 

 death throes rolls over a man or strikes him with 

 its tail. On the whole the whale hunt is looked 

 upon with delight by the inhabitants and is source 

 of little danger. 



Herr MuUer, who was an old correspondent of 

 mine and an excellent ornithologist, told me that 

 the real difficulty of these whale hunts was in 

 afterwards settling the claims of the respective 

 parties engaged in the fray. Even little children 

 got their share if they owned a paddle or a ruUock 

 in one of the boats, and so the good Postmaster- 

 General and final arbiter on the bodies of defunct 

 Cetaceans had no easy task to perform during the 

 autumn months. That he did his duty well was 

 evidenced by the universal respect in which he 

 was held. I was very anxious to stay and take 

 part in one of these hunts, but we were told that 

 months might elapse before another school appeared 



