402 MAMMALIA — WHALE. 



There is still another and more pov/erful enemy, called by the fishermen 

 of New England, the killer. This is itself supposed to be a cetaceous 

 animal, armed with strong and powerful teeth. A number of these are 

 said to surround the whale, in the same manner as dogs get round a bull. 

 Some attack it Avith their teeth, behind; others attempt it before ; until, at 

 last, the great animal is torn down ; and its tongue is said to be the only 

 part they devour when they have made it their prey. They are said to be 

 of such great strength, that one of them alone was known to stop a dead 

 whale, that several boats were towing along, and drag it from among them 

 to the bottom. 



But of all the enemies of these enormous fishes, man is the greatest ; he 

 alone, destroys more in a year, than the rest in an age, and actually has 

 thinned their number in that part of the world where they are chiefly 

 sought. At the first discovery of Greenland, whales not being used to be 

 disturbed, frequently came into the very bays, and were accordingly killed 

 almost close to the shore ; so that the blubber being cut off was immediately 

 boiled into oil on the spot. The ships in those times, took in nothing but 

 the pure oil and the whalebone, and all the business was executed in the 

 country ; by Avhich means, a ship could bring home the product of many 

 more whales, than she can, according to the present method of conducting 

 this trade. The fishery also was then so plentiful, that they were obliged 

 sometimes to send other ships to fetch off the oil they had made, the quan- 

 tity being more than the fishing ships could bring away. But time and 

 change of circumstances, have shifted the situation of this trade. The ships 

 coming in such numbers from Holland, Denmark, Hamburg, and other 

 northern countries, all intruders upon the English, who were the first dis- 

 coverers of Greenland, the whales were disturbed, and gradually, as other 

 fish often do, forsaking the place, were not to be killed so near the shore as 

 before; but are now found, and have been so ever since, in the openings 

 and space among the ice, where they have deep water, and where they go 

 sometimes a great many leagues froin the shore. 



The whale fishery begins in May, and continues all June and July; but 

 whether the ships have good or bad success, they must come away, and get 

 clear of the ice, by the end of August; so that in the month of September, 

 at farthest, they may be expected home. But a ship that meets with a 

 fortunate and early fishery in May, may return in June or July. 



The manner of taking the Greenland whales is as follows: — Every ship 

 is provided with six boats, to each of which belongssix men for rowing the 

 boat, and a harpooner, whose business it is to strike the whale with his 

 harpoon. Two of these boats are kept constantly on the watch, at some 

 distance from the ship, fastened to pieces of ice, and are relieved by others 

 every four hours. As soon as a whale is perceived, both the boats set out 

 in pursuit of it, and if either of them can come up before the whale finally 

 descends, which is known by his throwing up his tail, the harpooner dis- 



