CURRENTS AND WHALING. 495 



surrounded on the beach by from thirty to forty desperate-looking 

 wretches, more or less armed. Of these, Harrison became the 

 spokesman, declaring that they had taken the boat and meant to keep 

 it, at the risk of his and all the party's lives, to which speech they all 

 signified their assent. Captain Brown repeatedly cautioned them 

 against such acts of piracy ; but his caution was received with curses 

 and all kinds of abuse, and finally a pistol was presented, with the 

 declaration that he, Harrison, would blow out the brains of Captain 

 Brown if he attempted to rescue the boat." 



Such has been the indiscriminate manner in which the whales have 

 been slaughtered, both old and young, that these haunts have of late 

 years been less frequented by them. 



The right whale is found of much larger size in high latitudes than in 

 low, and not unfrequently yields, when taken in these latitudes, as much 

 as one hundred and eighty barrels of oil. Besides the oil, the whale- 

 bone produces some profit. A large number of these whales were seen 

 by us in the bays about Cape Horn, in the months of March and April; 

 but the weather there is seldom favourable to the use of boats, and 

 would of course preclude success in carrying on such a business. 



On soundings, and in shoal water, attempts have been made to 

 capture a different species of whale, called the humpback (Gibbosa) ; 

 but there is a great impediment to the securing of the spoils of this 

 game, for when killed they immediately sink for thirty or forty hours. 

 It therefore becomes necessary, either to anchor a boat near by to 

 watch them, or leave a buoy, and then not unfrequently they may be 

 swept off by the under-current, or lost by bad weather. 



Although the high latitudes offer great inducements on account of 

 the number and size of the whales, yet there are many difficulties 

 existing, that render it preferable to pursue the game in the low lati- 

 tudes. The weather, even in the summer season, is often tempestuous, 

 which makes it dangerous to lower boats; and there are, even in the 

 fine season, fogs, which not only tantalize, but prevent the chase from 

 being extended to any distance from the ship, without the risk of losing 

 both boats and crew. I have been told that it has frequently happened 

 that boats have been separated from the ship for several days; thus not 

 only producing great anxiety, but often much distress from want of 

 provisions and water. Our whalers feel that there is quite enough of 

 adventure and peril in following their employment in the lower and 

 less boisterous latitudes. 



Notwithstanding these difficulties, the favourite and most successful 

 ground for the right whale, is between the fiftieth and fifty-fifth parallel 

 of north latitude, where vast numbers have been recently taken in June 



