NOTES ON THE SEAL AND WHALE FISHERY OF 1884. 87 
been used in endeavouring to enclose the fish, but I cannot say 
that on the whole the use of nets has been a success. It has 
sometimes helped to secure a good result, but at other times the 
fish in a rush seaward have carried nets and all before them.” 
In this way, in the season of 1888, Capt. Adams killed 1200 
White Whales. 
A considerable decline has taken place in the Bottle-nose 
fishery ; in 1883 eleven vessels were engaged in this fishery, and 
secured 535 whales; in the past season seventeen vessels 
captured only 317 fish, which produced 812 tons of oil worth 
about £12,480. The greatest number taken by one vessel (the 
‘Maud,’ of Dundee) was fifty-six, whereas in the previous season 
Capt. Gray in the ‘ Eclipse’ alone took 157. One reason for this 
falling off is that they have been over-fished; but the weather 
was also very bad indeed, very severe gales from the §.E. and E. 
almost incessantly prevailed frequently, rendering it impossible 
to send the boats away for days together. A very painful 
incident occurred to the boats of the schooner ‘Chieftain,’ of 
Dundee, on her first voyage as a whaler. Four of the ‘Chief- 
tain’s’ boats were away on May 26th, one of which with a 
Bottle-nose in tow succeeded in reaching the ship in safety, but 
returned to assist the remaining three boats, which were fast to 
another whale ; a fog coming down, they sent the second mate’s 
boat away to find the vessel; the remaining three boats, after 
waiting some time for her return, cut adrift from the whale and 
tried in vain for many hours to find the ship. The second 
mate’s boat was eventually picked up by the Norwegian schooner 
‘Schrieder,’ and the crew transferred to their own vessel, the 
‘Chieftain.’ The remaining three boats, in one of which there 
was a compass, determined to shape their course in company for 
the nearest point of Iceland, about two hundred miles distant; 
but on the 27th a severe gale commenced, and the boats were 
separated; that commanded by the captain eventually reached 
Iceland all well, as did No. 3, commanded by the spectioneer, 
one of the crew, however, dying shortly after he landed. 
Previously to their parting company in the gale, a man from the 
fourth boat, in charge of Bain the harpooner, was washed over- 
board, and the others not being able to steer, James McIntosh 
was transferred from one of the other boats to assist Bain; the 
young lads in the boat succumbed one after another, till Bain 
