EARLY HISTORY OF WHALING 63 



especially on the coast of Bayonne, near a little 

 village called " Biarris," distant three leagues from 

 that town. Near this village there is a rock upon 

 which, for many years past, there has been a tower, 

 on which a look-out is kept, by day and night, for 

 whales. (There is now a lighthouse on this rock, 

 overlooking the Chambre d'amour.) The whales 

 are recognised by their spouting. As soon as one 

 is observed, the look-out sounds a bell, upon which 

 warning all the village run prepared with the 

 necessary apparatus for the slaughter of the whale. 

 There were several vessels and skiffs utilised for 

 this. Apparently some were manned exclusively 

 by those who killed or attempted to kill the whale on 

 the high sea. Other boats specialised in the 

 attempt to drive the whales ashore, where they were 

 dispatched by the whole population of the village. 

 Dead whales found floating in the sea were also 

 towed ashore and utilised. After the whale was 

 struck with harpoons it was killed with lances. 

 Each harpooner was rewarded by the result of his 

 efforts as determined by the number of his harpoons 

 found in the whale's body. The females were 

 considered easier prey than the males pour ce 

 qu'elles sont soigneuses de sauver leurs petits. 



The flesh is not esteemed, except the tongue. 

 Originally the oil was extracted on land, the whales 

 being towed ashore and then cut up and the blubber 

 boiled down. 



The discovery of the possibility of boiling down 

 the oil at sea, " trying-out " as it is called, is 



