MAMMALIA—WHALE. 403 
charges his harpoon at him. There is no difficulty in choosing the place 
where the whale is to be struck, as some have asserted; for these creatures 
only come up to the surface in order to spout up the water, or dow, as the 
fishermen term it, and therefore always keep the soft and vulnerable part 
of their bodies above water. As soon as the whale is struck, the men set 
up one of their oars in the middle of the boat, as a signal to those in the 
ship. On perceiving this, the watchman alarms all the rest, with the cry 
of fall! fall! upon which ali the other boats are immediately sent out to 
the assiscance of the first. 
Yhe whale finding himself wounded, runs off with prodigious violence 
Sometimes he descends perpendicularly ; at others goes off horizontally at a 
small depth below the surface. The rope which is fastened to the harpoon 
is about two hundred fathoms long, and properly coiled up, that it may 
be freely given out as there is a demand for it. At first, the veiocity with 
which this line runs over the side of the boat is so great, that it is wetted 
to prevent its taking fire; but in a short time the strength of the whale 
begins to fail, and the fishermen, instead of letting out more rope, strive as 
much as possible to pull back what is given out already, though they always 
find themselves necessitated to yield at last to the efforts of the animal, to 
prevent his smking their boat. If he runs out the two hundred fathoms 
of line contamed in one boat, that belonging to another is immediately 
fastened to the end of the first, and so on; and there have been instances, 
where all the rope belonging to the six boats has been necessary, though 
half that quantity is seldom required. The whale cannot stay long below 
water, but again comes up to blow; and being now much fatigued and 
wounded, stays longer above water than usual. This gives another boat 
ume fo come up with him, and he is again struck with aharpoon. He 
