THE RIGHT WHALE OF THE N0BTH-WE8TERN COAST. 69 



sail, "run over" the animal to leeward, at the same time that the harpoon is 

 thrown. The whale, after being struck, often runs to windward, thrashing its flukes 

 in every direction. After going a short distance, it frequently stops, or "brings 

 to," "sweeping" as it is said, "from eye to eye," and at the same time making a 

 terrific noise called "bellowing;" this sound is compared to that of a mammoth 

 bull, and adds much to the excitement of the chase and capture. Others will not 

 stop until they are hamstrung, as it were, by "spading." The spading process is 

 performed by hauling the boat near enough to cut the cords that connect the body 

 and the flukes, either on the top or underneath, as the attitude of the animal may 

 be. A large vein runs along the underside of the "small," terminating at the junc- 

 tion of the caudal fin, which, if cut, will give the creature its death -wound. The 

 instrument used for cutting is called a "boat- spade," which may be compared to a 

 very wide chisel, with a handle six or eight feet long. Sometimes the cords are 

 so effectually severed that the flukes become entirely useless, and still the animal 

 hardly slackens its speed perceptibly, showing, evidently, that its pectorals are pow- 

 erful propellers. Another mode of stopping the whale is by throwing a number 

 of harpoons, detached from the line, into the "small;" a kind of torture that 

 would, if the bleeding victim could speak, cause it to entreat its tormentors to put 

 an end to its misery. Yet not unfrequently, after being lacerated on every side, it 

 holds its human pursuers at bay by assuming a vertical attitude, with flukes upper- 

 most, which are dashed in every direction with a furious swoop, hurling sheets of 

 spray and foaming water into the boats, and often nearly filling them. But 

 when once "brought to" it will remain quite stationary for a few minutes, or roll 

 from side to side, giving the ofiicer of the boat a good opportunity to shoot a 

 bomb -lance, or use the hand -lance with good effect, which soon dispatches it. 

 Sometimes, however, one of these huge animals, in spite of the bomb -guns, har- 

 poons, and all the whaling -gear combined, will, after being "fastened to," make 

 the best of its way to windward with the boat, taking it so far from the ship as 

 to oblige the men to cut the line and give up the chase. Of late. Greener's gun 

 has been used to some extent in its capture. But before harpoon or bomb guns 

 came into general use, the whalemen of the North-western Coast made such havoc 

 among these colossal animals (which were regarded as the most vicious of their 

 kind), as to have nearly extirpated them, or driven them to some unknown feed- 

 ing-ground. 



