224 
APPENDIX. 
curacy, although they should never have been in Green- 
land before, prove themselves superior harpooners to 
many, who have spent all their lives in the service. These 
considerations, I am inclined to hope, would excite a 
partiality to the use of the gun-harpoon. A proper 
sense of duty and zeal for their employers’ benefit might 
be excited in the minds of the harpooners, by inducing 
them plainly to see, that as many fish may be taken by a 
gun-harpoon, as by the hand harpoon ; and by making 
them, at the same time, understand, that their emoluments 
will not be diminished, it would be reasonable to sup- 
pose, that it could not then but be indifferent to them 
which they employed. Go farther, and convince them, 
that more fish must be taken by a gun than by a hand-har- 
poon ; and assure them, that their perquisites shall be 
increased in exact proportion ; and can it be supposed, 
that they will hesitate to give a preference to the former ? 
But should these endeavours and encouragements fail 
in making their owners’ benefit their primary considera- 
tion; let the masters be directed by the owners, to despatch 
a boat carrying a gun as one of those J^rst sent in pursuit 
on a fish being seen, and to hold out a further gratuity 
for a fish taken by the gun, beyond the sum at present al- 
lowed to the first fast boat : and, in order to produce ad- 
ditional incitement to the crew, and attention in the ma- 
nager of the gun towards striking the fish in a vital place, 
so as to cause instant death ; let it be determined that one 
whale being taken without the aid of a second harpoon, 
the harpooner shall receive two guineas, and the boats’ 
crew one guinea each, in lieu of the usual bounty of half 
a guinea each to the crew of the first fast boat. 
If the gun should be brought into general use, and 
scientifically applied, which I have no hesitation in saying^ 
would, in many cases, remove the causes of failure; I 
should suggest the propriety of men, who are anxious to be 
