580 
HAlirOON C4UN. 
anchor at the head of the rapid.— These boats have been found to 
ascend one-half faster than the current flows down, and to be capable 
of towing up whatever may offer itself. 
The boat having performed its voyage, its appendages are disen- 
gaged, when it descends with the current, and is again ready for an- 
other trip up the rapid. A correspondent of the New York Evening 
Post says, I had the pleasure a few weeks since of witnessing the 
first experiment of the boat, opposite Trenton, on the Delaware, and 
was much surprised that an invention of such utility had not before 
been thought of, and brought into operation. There can be no doubt 
as to the practicability of the plan, and the competency of the power to 
be acquired,, for propelling heavily laden boats against rapids ; for in 
the experiment I w itnessed, there w'ere towed up at the same time, a 
large Durham boat, two hatteaux, and twelve 'persons. The Durham 
boat was old and leaky, and drew as much water as if loaded with 
three or four tons. The ascent seemed to be as speedy as if the pad- 
dle boat had no encumbrance. Many of our valuable rivers have not 
heretofore been navigated, on account of the obstructions in them by 
rapids, w'hich have hitherto been thought insurmountable ; but by the 
invention of Colonel Clarke such difficulties no longer exist. Much 
credit is. certainly due to him for the invention, as it promises to be 
of the greatest utility to this country in the navigation of our rivers; 
and it is presumed, that this plan will ere long be brought into gene- 
ral use throughout the United States.” 
Harpoon Gun. 
This is a kind of fire-arm for discharging harpoons at wdiales, and 
thereby killing them more easily and expeditiously than formerly. 
Though this method was projected many years ago, it has but lately 
come into use ; and premiums have been offered by the society for 
encouraging arts, &c. to the persons who first struck a fish in this 
manner. In the Transactions of that society for, 1786, W'e have an 
account of the first fish struck in this manner in 1784. The gun was 
of the blunderbuss construction, loaded with four tobacco pipes full 
of glazed pow^der : the fish was shot at the distance of ten fathoms, 
the harpoon going into her back up to the ring, and she w'as killed 
in about an hour. In 1785, three whales were killed in this manner, 
four in 1786, and three in 1787. Since that time the gun harpoon 
has come more into use, and w ill probably supersede the other method 
entirelv. 
In the Philosophical Transactions for 1789, we have accounts of a 
number of whales killed in this manner. The instrument appears to 
be extremely useful in calm weather, as the whale, though a timorous 
creature, will frequently allow^ a boat to approach it within tw'enty, 
fifteen, or ten fathoms, all of which distances are within reach of the 
gun harpoon, though not within reach of that thrown by the hand. 
The greatest inconvenience was in case of rain or snow, by which the 
lock was apt to get wet. To remedy this, a case of leather was made 
to fit round the gun, and over the lock, lined with tin, and big enough 
to fire the gun when it was on. The fish struck with an harpoon 
