WHALE HUNTING WITH GUN AND CAMERA 



The following authentic instances have been given to me 

 by Norwegian captains: 



In May, 1903, the whaling steamer Minerva, under Cap- 

 tain John Petersen, hunting from the station in Isafjord, 

 made up to and struck a bull Humpback. The beast was 

 wild, so they fired two harpoons into it, both of which were 

 well placed. In the dim light the captain and two men 

 went off in the "pram" to lance the wounded Whale, when 

 the latter suddenly smashed its tail downwards, breaking 

 the boat to pieces, killing the captain and one man, and 

 breaking the leg of the other. The last-named was, how- 

 ever, rescued, clinging to some spars. 



A most curious accident happened on the coast of Fin- 

 mark about ten years ago. A steamer had just got fast 

 to a Humpback, which, in one of its mad rushes, broke 

 through the side of the vessel at the coal bunkers, thus 

 allowing a great inrush of water which put out the fires 

 and sank the ship in three minutes. The crew had just 

 time to float the boats, and was rescued by another whaler 

 some hours later. 



Owing to its sudden rushes and free use of tail and pec- 

 torals the Humpback is more feared by the Norwegian 

 whalemen than any other species, although fewer casual- 

 ties occur than in the chase of the Bottlenose. It is not 

 to be wondered at when you ask a Scandinavian about the 

 dangerous incidents of his calling he will invariably answer, 

 "I not like to stab de Humpback ; no, no, no !" The Hump- 

 back generally sinks when killed, and is a difficult Whale 

 to raise. 1 



Reliable data upon the breeding habits of all large 

 whales are obviously difficult to secure and, except 

 in the case of the California gray whale, it is im- 



Mammals of Great Britain and Ireland." By J. G. 

 Millais. Longmans, Green, & Co., pp. 241-242. 



72 



