18 THE NATURALIST IN BEEMUDA. 



been formerly attempted in vain, but within these two or 

 three years, in the spring time and fair weather, they take 

 sometimes one, two, or three in a day. They are less, I 

 hear, than those in Greenland, but more quick and lively ; 

 so that if they be struck ia deep water, they presently 

 make into the deep with such violence, that the boat is in 

 danger of being haled down after them, if they cut not 

 the rope in time. Therefore they usually strike them in 

 shoal water. They have very good boats for that purpose, 

 manned with sbc oars, such as they can row forwards or 

 backwards as occasion requireth. They row up gently to 

 the whale, and so he will scarcely shun them, and when 

 the harpineer, standing ready fitted, sees his opportunity, 

 he strikes his harping iron into the whale, about or before 

 the fins, rather than towards the tayl. Now the harping 

 irons are like those which are usual in England in striking 

 porpoises, but singular good mettal, that will not break, but 

 wind, as they say, about a man's hand. To the haipimg 

 iron is made fast a strong lythe rope, and into the socket 

 of that iron is put a staff, whiclj, when the whale is struck, 

 comes out of the socket, and so when the whale is something 

 quiet, they hale up to him by the rope, and, it Jtnay be, 

 strike into him another harping iron, or lance him with 

 lances in staves till they have kiUed him. This I write by 

 relation, for I have not seen any killed myself I hear not 

 that they have found any spermaceti in any of these 

 whales, but I have heard from credible persons that there 

 is a kind of such as have the sperma, at Eluetheria and 

 others of the Bahama Islands, (where also they find often 

 quantities of ambergrease,) and that those have great teeth 

 (which ours have not) and are very sinewy. One of this 



