76 Anecdotes of the Whale Fishery. 



perished had not one of the nien, mistaking him 

 for a seal, pointed him out to his companions. He 

 was at once taken on board and restoratives ad- 

 ministered, but it was many days before he re- 

 covered from the effects of his cold bath. When 

 picked up his clothes were frozen hard on his body. 

 The whale, the cause of all these misfortunes, was 

 eventually killed, when the harpoons with which he 

 had been struck on the east side were recovered. 



Some accidents occur in whaling which savour 

 more of the ridiculous. One man, though a good 

 and successful harpooneer, could never be pre- 

 vailed upon to approach a fast fish for the purpose 

 of killing it, always exhibiting great timidity when 

 •ordered upon this service. On one occasion, 

 nothing would induce this individual to pull along- 

 side the whale in his boat and administer the death- 

 thrust. He was, in consequence, upbraided by the 

 other harpooneers for his cowardice. " What," 

 said the second mate, " are you afeered for the 

 fish ? " — " No," answered the timid harpooneer, 

 ff but I am afeered for myself." And on another 

 occasion, the same individual, whilst pulling towards 

 a fish, was hailed by the captain from the crow's 

 nest, and told " to keep off her eye," meaning to 

 pull up behind the whale, so as to be unobserved. 

 " Ay, ay," said our friend, " but I'll keep off the 

 beggar's tail;" and nothing would induce him to 

 go near that dangerous appendage of their for- 

 midable prey. 



