270 NATURE AND WOODCRAFT. 



here the " schools " stay until the warm weather 

 once more exerts its influence. 



It is the chase of the Greenland Right-whale 

 which has furnished so many stirring incidents 

 from the Polar Seas. In its haunts, this species 

 goes solitary or in pairs, and, as soon as one 

 is seen, boats are lowered, and harpoons held 

 in readiness. As opportunity offers, these 

 are transfixed in the soft body of the huge 

 creature, which at once dives. At every reap- 

 pearance, harpoon after harpoon is thrown with 

 deadly aim, until, from exhaustion and loss of 

 blood, the creature finds itself incapable of 

 further diving. The boats then draw near 

 and attack it with lances, when the prey is 

 almost assured. Great care has to be exer- 

 cised, lest, in its dying convulsions—" flurry," 

 as the Whalers call it — the maddened monster 

 does not send boat and men, with a single swish 

 of its mighty tail, flying like so many spars 

 over the surface of the sea. If, however, the 

 lances have done their work in the vulnerable 

 parts, the monster turns over, and but little 

 time is lost in getting to work on the car- 

 case. First, this is hauled alongside ; then the 

 men set to work to " flense " it — to strip the 



