The Common, or Greenland Whale. 403 
and which form a kind of strainer, admitting only the 
small fish on which the Whale feeds. This Whalebone 
is one of the valuable products of the whale, though the 
oil is most important. 
'* As when enclosing harpooners assail, 
In hyperborean seas, the slumbering Whale ; 
Soon as the javelins pierce the scaly side, 
He groans, he darts impetuous down the tide ; 
And, rack'd all o'er with lacerating pain, 
He flies remote beneath the flood in vain." 
Falconer. 
Whales are taken in great numbers about Spitzbergen, 
Greenland, and other northern countries by the English, 
the Dutch, &c. Considerable fleets of ships are sent out 
every spring for this purpose. When they begin their 
fishery, each ship is fastened or moored with nose-hooks 
to the ice. Two boats, each manned with six men, are 
ordered by the commodore to look out for the coming of 
the fish for two hours, when they are relieved by two 
more, and so by turns ; the two boats lie at some small 
distance from the ship, each separated from the other, 
fastened to the ice with their boat-hooks, ready to let go 
in an instant at the first sight of the Whale. Here the 
dexterity of the A\ hale hunters is to be admired ; for as 
soon as the animal shows itself, every man is at his oar, 
and they all rush on the Whale with prodigious swift- 
ness ; at the same time taking care to come behind its 
head, that it may not see the boat, which sometimes so 
alarms it, that it plunges down again before they have 
time to strike it. But the greatest care is to be taken of 
the tail, with which it many times does very great 
damage, both to the boats and seamen. The harpooner, 
who is placed at the head or bow of the boat, seeing the 
back of the Whale, and making the onset, thrusts the 
harpoon with all his might into its body by the help of 
a staff fixed to the iron for this purpose, and leaves it in, 
a line being fastened to it of about two inches in circum- 
ference, and one hundred and thirty-six fathoms long. 
Every boat is furnished with seven of these lines, from 
the motion of which, when let run, they, observe the 
course of the Whale. 
