206 A HISTORY OF THE WHALE FISHERIES 



gas : " The advantage of gas produced from oil, 

 compared with that obtained from coal, is so great 

 that it is astonishing that oil gas is not in general 

 use. The gas from oil has no bad nor disagreeable 

 quality, it gives a far more brilliant light than the 

 other, one cubic foot of gas from oil going as far as 

 twice that quantity of coal gas, and it is, moreover, 

 much cheaper. That from coal, on the contrary, is 

 extremely offensive to the smell, dangerous to the 

 health on being inhaled, and injurious to furniture, 

 books, plate, pictures, etc." In spite of all these 

 advantages whale oil gas was soon worsted in the 

 struggle. There is, however, a considerable volume 

 of evidence that at this time the real drawback to 

 whaling was the increased difficulty of taking 

 whales. To remedy this, the gun harpoon was 

 invented, but it does not appear to have been tried 

 on the voyage, though Scoresby expresses a guarded 

 appreciation of it, remarkable in one respect since 

 he foreshadows the use to which the gun harpoon 

 was put many years later, i.e., " for attacking wicked 

 fish, fish at the edge of packs, finners, razorbacks, 

 etc., these destructive implements might be of 

 uncommon service." As will be seen later, the 

 improved gun harpoon of the Norwegians has led 

 to an extensive fishery of F inner Whales. 



