HISTORY OF THE WHALE. 
19 
was thrown with its fragments on the back of the 
huo-e animal. Even then this bold mariner darted a 
second harpoon into the body of his victim ; but un- 
fortunately he got entangled in the line and could not 
extricate himself, while the other party was unable 
to approach near enough to save him. At last, how- 
ever, the harpoon was disengaged, and he swam to 
the boat. 
Mr. Scoresby, in one of his earliest voyages, saw a 
boat thrown several yards into the air, from which it 
fell on its side, plunging the crew into the sea. They 
were happily taken up, when only one was found to 
have received a severe contusion. In 1807, Mr. 
Scoresbv’s crew had struck a whale, which reappeared 
in such violent agitation that none durst approach it. 
The captain courageously advanced in a boat by him- 
self, and succeeded in striking a second harpoon; 
but another boat having advanced too close, the ani- 
mal brandished its tail with so much fury, that the 
harpooner, who was directly under, judged it most 
prudent to leap into the sea. The tail struck the 
very place he had left, and cut the boat entirely asun- 
der, with the exception of two planks; so that, had 
he remained, he must have been dashed to pieces. 
Captain Lyons, of Leith, in 1802, had a boat thrown 
fifteen feet into the air ; it came down into the water 
with its keel upwards, yet all the men except one 
were saved. 
The dangers of the northern whale fishery, in spite 
of the utmost care, arid under the direction even of 
the most experienced mariners, are imminent and 
