66 
A VOYAGE TO SPITZBEKGEN 
discends to the bottom of the water: and therfore the men 
in the shallop doe weire out 40, 50, or 60 fathomes of rope, 
yea, sometimes 100 ; or more, according as the depth requir- 
eth. For, upon the sockett of the harping-iron, ther is made 
fast a rope, w ch lies orderlie coiled up in the sterne of the 
boat, w ch , I saie, they doe weire forth until! they perceaue 
him to be riseing againe ; and then they haile in some of it, 
both to giue him the lesse scope, and also that it maie be the 
stronger, being shorter. For, when he riseth from the bot- 
tome, he comes not directlie up aboue the water, but swimmes 
awaie w th an uncontrowled force and swiftnes ; hurrying the 
shallop after him, w th hir head so close drawen downe to 
the water, that shee seemes euer readie to be hailed under it. 
When he hath thus drawen hir perhaps a mile or more, — 
w ch is done in a very short time, considering her swiftnes, 
—'then will he come spowteing aboue the water; and the 
men rowe up to him, and strike him w th long launces, w ch are 
made purposelie for that vse. In lanceing of the whale, they 
strike him as neare his swimming finne, and as lowe under 
water as they can conuenientlie, to peirce into his intralls. 
But, when he is wounded, he is like to wrest the launce out 
of the striker's hand; so that sometimes two men are faine 
to pluck it out, although but one man did easilie thrust it in. 
And nowe will he frisk and strike w th his taile verie forcea- 
blie ; sometimes hitting the shallop, and splitting hir asunder; 
sometimes also maihmeing or killing some of the men. And, 
for that cause, ther is alwaies either two or 3 shallops about 
the killing of one whale, that the one of them maie relieue 
and take in the men out of another, being splitt. When he 
hath receaued his deadlie wound, then he casteth forth blood 
where formerlie he spowted water; and, before he dies, he 
will sometimes drawe the shallops 3 or 4 miles from the place 
where he was first stricken w th the harping-iron. When he is 
dyeing, he most comonlie tourneth his bellie vppermost: and 
then doe the men fasten a rope, or small hauser, to the hinder 
