MODERN FIN-WHALING 163 



with ordinary lines and bomb-guns, invented the cannon and 

 harpoon with exploding head. This was at once found to 

 be effective on the greatest of all whales, such as Sibbald's 

 Rorqual, the Common Rorqual, and the Humpback. These 

 enormous creatures had never previously suffered from the 

 attacks of man to any serious extent, because the attempt to 

 strike and hold them with the ordinary methods employed on 

 the Greenland, the Southern Right, or the Sperm Whales, 

 would have led to disaster. 



Svend Foyn commenced operations at once on the Finmark 

 coast of Norway in 1880, and his immediate success was quickly 

 followed by a crowd of small vessels which, killing sometimes 

 as many as five or six Balanoptera in a single day, rapidly 

 depleted the northern grounds. Many thousands were slain 

 until the Norwegian Government stepped in and put a stop 

 to further operations by appointing a close time until the year 

 1907. This industry, however, was profitable, so the gallant 

 Norwegians, having found a trade after their own hearts, at 

 once set out to look for " fresh fields and pastures new." 

 Balcenoptera were reported as being numerous in the Gulf 

 of St. Lawrence and Newfoundland waters, and in 1897- 1899 

 the Cabot Whaling Company commenced hunting, and began 

 operations at Snooks Arm, and at Balaena, in Hermitage 

 Bay. The first whale was killed on 25th June 1898 by the 

 steamer Cabot (Captain Bull), and she killed 47 in that year. 

 In 1899 she took 95 ; in 1900 the total was in ; in 1901 the 

 Cabot and another boat killed 258 ; in 1902 three steamers 

 slew 472 ; and in 1903 four steamers slaughtered the enor- 

 mous total of 858 large whales. In 1904 more ships took the 

 sea, the total catch of fourteen factories being 1275 whales, 

 made up as follows : 264 Sibbald's Rorqual, 281 Humpbacks, 

 690 Common Rorqual, 39 Rudolphi's Rorqual, i Sperm Whale. 



