190 HaWs Crew Capture a Whale. [August, isgs. 



bcr of small articles also entrusted to his care by the captain ; he had 

 stimulated the natives to secure for the ships as many deer as possi- 

 ble. The two vessels left the bay on the 21st. Their crews had 

 secured a number of whales — eight on the 15th and 16th — the oil and 

 bone of wliicli Hall estimated to be worth $25,000. 



The first opportunity now offered itself for the successful issue of 

 one of the important elements in the original plan presented to the 

 friends of the expedition in New York in 1862 — the capture of whales 

 which would repay in part the advances made for the outfit. After a 

 number of cruises in the boats without being able to come quite 

 within striking distance, on the 30th he was congratulated by all his 

 Innuit friends for the success of the day. With his party of men and 

 bovs he left the tupiks at 4 a. m., to hunt a whale which had been for 

 some time previous blowing around. The Sylvia and the Lady 

 Franklin gave swift chase to the westward, but, after an hour's 

 cruise, during which the whale made several risings, they were un- 

 aljle to get close enough, although they came almost upon it when 

 rowing from an opposite direction around an islet A second whale 

 was, however, almost immediately seen half a mile to the south- 

 west, when the sails were quickly set and paddles and oars vigor- 

 ously plied by the crews of both boats, ''each of wdiich ran down 

 the leg of a V, the whale at its joining point." Oii-e-la, from the 

 bow of the Lady Franklin which reached the goal a few seconds 

 Ijefore the Sylvia, threw a whale's harpoon to which was attached a 

 line of 20 fathoms, having at its end two drugs (floats). One of these 

 was the forward part of an ooh-gooh skin, the covering of the head 

 and llippei's being as entire as when upon the living animal, wuth the 



