252 WHALE FISHERY. 



ivas caught by the hand harpoon. In 1760, 

 the Greenland harpooners, Dutch, Englifh, 

 Scotch, and Danes, were at it, and not one fifh 

 taken. This year there were feveral Greenland 

 fhips on the coaft, not one of whom caught a 

 fifh. In 1761, with the gun harpoon, killed 

 three whales, and got them all; after which he 

 every year killed fome, except one year, when 

 he killed 42 fun fifh in one week, each of which 

 yielded from half a ton, to a ton of oil. Mr. 

 Nefbit has fince given it up, not from want of 

 fuccefs in the mode of taking the whales, but 

 from being put, by his partners, for Want of 

 knowledge in the bufinefs, to ufelefs expenfes. 

 From many experiments, he brought the opera- 

 tion to fuch perfection, that, for fome years, 

 he never miffed a whale, nor failed of holding 

 her by the harpoon: he had for fome time ill 

 fuccefs, from firing when too near, for the 

 harpoon does not then fly true, but at 14 or 1 5 

 yards diitance, which is what he would chute, 

 it flies ftrait; has killed feveral at 25 yards. 



When the harpoon is fired into the vyhale^ 

 it finks to the bottom with great velocity, but 

 immediately comes up, and lays on the furface, 

 lafliing it with tail and fins for half or three 

 quarters of an hour, in which time he fires 

 lances into it, to difpatch it, and when killed^ 

 it finks for 48 hours, where he leaves a boat, 

 or a cafk, as a buoy to mark the place., to be 

 ready there when the whale rifes, that they 

 may tow it into harbour, according as the wind 

 lays. To carry on this bufinefs here, he knows 

 from experience, that nothing more would be 



wanting, 



