76 THE WHALE AND 



Expedients of the Indian Whalemen of Oregon and Cape Cod. 



to be going into " his flurry," we are persuaded 

 that many thousands of barrels of oil might be 

 saved, and not a few poor voyages would be 

 made good ones. According to Commander 

 Wilkes's Narrative of the United States Explor- 

 ing Squadron, the Indians of the northwest 

 coast take quite a number of whales annually, 

 by having their rude fish spears fastened to in- 

 flated seal-skin floats, four feet long and one 

 and a half or two feet broad, that keep the 

 whale on the top of the water, and allow him to 

 fall a comparatively easy prey. The same thing 

 used to be effected by the Indians of Cape Cod, 

 having their fish spears fastened to blocks of 

 wood, in lieu of which sperm whalemen now 

 use what is called a " drag." Now that whales 

 are getting scarce, we think it impossible but 

 that Yankee sense and forehandedness w r ill soon 

 see to this, and go prepared against such dis- 

 heartening catastrophes as losing their game 

 by its sinking, after unsurpassed skill and dar- 

 ing have made it fairly their ow r n. 



If owners knew how much might be saved 

 by it, they would never let a ship go from port 

 without buoys to hold up dead whales, and long 

 hawsers to lay-to with by them in gales of wind. 



