THE FINWHALE FISHERY. 283 
‘lance. We have one of exactly this pattern in the Museum. The 
wires which are to be seen in the left end of the shaft are not part of 
an electrical apparatus,* but belong to the guiding-wings, which are 
wanting in the specimen photographed. I enclose a copy of some 
notes on the construction of this bomb, contained in the late Mr. J. T. 
Brown’s ‘London Fisheries Exhibition Catalogue,’ a copy of which 
you may not have at hand. 
“« Mr, Pierce’s statement that he has never sold any of these bombs 
to the Norwegian whalers is, it seems to me, of much importance. 
The Scotch whalers, if I have properly understood your reports on the 
whale fishery, do not chase the Finback Whales, while, on the other 
hand, our Provincetown whalers do capture them, and use these 
explosive bombs for the purpose. It is possible, therefore, that the 
individual from which the Pierce bomb was taken was shot at by one 
of our whalers, and afterwards crossed the Atlantic to the coast of 
Finmarken. 
‘“‘ We do not yet know very much about the Finback Whales that 
frequent our Atlantic coast, and I have been intending for some time 
to visit the stations in Massachusetts, with a view of gathering some 
new information regarding them.” 
The extract enclosed from the ‘ London Fisheries Exhibition 
Catalogue’ is as follows :— 
“U.S. of America.—E. ‘The Whale Fishery and its Appliances.’ 
By James Temple Brown. Washington, 1883, p. 59.” 
‘* PreRcE’S BOMB-LANCE.—Main portion, or powder chamber, brass 
tubing ; anterior end provided with nipple for percussion-cap and time- 
fuse. Rear end, or tail-piece, composition metal; fluted sides, with 
longitudinal slots for reception of the wings. Guide-wings, sheet 
brass, fastened to brass wires; closed by a brass ring when placed in 
the gun, and expand radially from a common centre when discharged. 
Lance-point, composition metal; four cutting edges; recessed, con- 
taining a hammer secured by a wooden pin, which is broken by the 
concussion of the explosion of the charge, and explodes the cap on the 
nipple in the end of the shank, communicating the fire to the maga- 
zine by means of the time-fuse. Button, sole leather, fastened with 
ascrew. Length, 19 inches.t New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1882. 
56355. Manufactured and presented by Captain Eben Pierce. Used 
* As we in Vardé had conjectured. 
} The difference in the length of the Vardi example is probably to be 
accounted for by the absence of the “‘ guide-wings.” Possibly also the 1882 
pattern may vary from that of 1869. 
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