[ 43 ° ] 
fibers term the' blowing of the whales. This noife 
alarms the fifhers, who are waiting for that fig- 
nal ; upon which they furnifh a boat with neceflary 
inftruments, and row quietly towards the whale. 
The harpooneer, as they call him, fits rowing in the 
head of the boat, and obferves certain filent (ignals, 
which the boat -fleerer gives him, to inform him, that 
he is near enough to (trike the whale. Then the har- 
pooner takes the harpoon in both hands, and darts it 
into the whale ; which, as foon as (truck, plunges 
diredtly to the bottom, and moves with fuch pro- 
digious velocity, that the rope, which follows the 
harpoon, often cuts deep grooves in the boat, and a 
man (tands ready with an ax to cut the rope, if it 
does not run freely from the coil. The whale being 
hurt by the harpoon, (tays longer than ufual under 
water, till the blood, by the violent motion of the 
body, is collected about the heart, and confequently 
obftrudtcd in the head ; the nervous influx is inter- 
rupted, the fvvirnming bladder relaxed, and the 
whale becomes languid, and riles to the top to breathe 
freili air, and reds for fome time, to recruit its ex- 
hautbed lpirits; which the fi fliers observing, row up 
And diipateh the whale with long lancets. 
It appears from this accouut, that the greatefb dif- 
ficulty confifts in making the rope fait to the whale, 
by means of the harpoon ; which is barbed in the 
common form of a dart, and is generally 20 ounces 
weight, and about two feet long, w'ith a (mall (talk 
of flexible iron, and a focket at the end, about which 
the rope is lpliced with a (haft of wood put into it, 
•fo that they cannot throw it any diftance with any 
degree of certainty ; therefore are never fure ol 
darting 
