THE DUTCH WHALERS PREDOMINANT 149 



and always strive to avoid their tayles (because with 

 that part they strike and if they hitt a boate will 

 break it in pieces) but if you bear up to their head 

 and foreparts, then are you more secure. 



' The whales are there of quick hearing (though 

 they have but little ears) and if they bee suddenly 

 surprised will quake and shiver, and strive to avoyd 

 you by sinking down in the sea. 



" After they are struck they presently dive and 

 run down towards the Bottom. 



" Now their harping irons are fastened to a Cord 

 (which lyes coyled up in the Boate, so that it may 

 not run fould) of three hundred fathoms. Which 

 the whale will draw all after it and they follow hir 

 with the Boate which way soever shee draw the 

 cord, and it be not of length enough they are ready 

 (with another Cord in another Boate) to fasten to the 

 end of it before the whale has drawn it quite out to 

 its full Length both of which may extend to one 

 thousand fathom. 



" The whale will toyle and weary hirselfe thus till 

 she be weary or not able to stay longer under water 

 (and she will sometimes stay one hower or more 

 under water before shee appear at all) yea and will 

 run under great Hands of Ice which are floating 

 there, but will come back againe to the open sea and 

 aire. 



" Lastly, when shee is dead and floates they lett 

 hir alone for two or three days in which tyme shee 

 swells and so a greater part of hir Back appears on 

 the water. 



