404 KILLING AND FLINCHING. 



ing these operations the strictest silence is maintained ; 

 but if, happily, the whales should enter the chosen inlet, 

 their pursuers come to close quarters with triumphant 

 shouts. Then the melee grows fierce. The poor whales, 

 sensible of the increasing shallowness of the water, turn 

 round and make for the open sea. Then how the excited 

 crews scream, and shout, and howl ! And how the no 

 less excited whales dive and reappear, and rush to and 

 fro ! Sometimes the pack, headed by their " bull," break 

 through the cordon of boats, and effect their escape ; but 

 generally they are driven into the toils by incessant 

 thrust of harpoon and spear, and rattling volleys of stones. 

 As soon as the whales are stranded, the men jump from 

 their boats, and with whatever implement they have at 

 hand stab them to the heart. The " dying flurry " then 

 sets in ; and, amid the exultant cries of the victors, the 

 huge animals struggle terribly, lashing the water furiously 

 with their tails, spouting up columns of mingled blood 

 and water, and even uttering dolorous sounds. Mean- 

 time the " multitudinous sea," becomes " incarnadined " 

 with blood. 



The work of death accomplished, " flinching" is the next 

 operation, and one in which the Shetlanders display re- 

 markable dexterity ; but as we have described it in all 

 its details, it is needless to dwell further upon it. The 

 dead whales having been flinched and decapitated, their 

 blubber is next put up to public auction. It generally 

 realizes from .10 to 15 a ton, and the heads from 8s. 

 to 12s. each. The "kreng," or flesh, is usually left 

 on the beach to pollute the atmosphere all around, 

 until devoured by birds of prey, or washed away by 

 the sea. Occasionally more economical considerations 



