the savage world. 
As early as the time of Alfred the Great, of England, whale fisheries were 
known, and of modern peoples, the Spanish and Portugese, the Italians, the 
Dutch or Hollanders, the English and the American Yankees have succeeded 
to the control of the fishery. A whale-ship starts out nowadays for a three 
years’ voyage, and carries a crew of upwards of thirty-five men. The smaller 
boats used for the pursuit of the whale are about thirty feet in length and 
six feet wide, prowed at each end. Everyone of the crew has special duties, 
and there is 
A DEATH WOUND. 
the strictest 
observance of 
that order 
which is 
“Heaven’s 
first law.” 
For exam¬ 
ple, immedi¬ 
ately upon ar¬ 
rival at the 
whaling 
grounds, a 
“ lookout ” is 
kept at mast¬ 
head, and on 
his vigilance 
the crew de¬ 
pends for time¬ 
ly notice of 
the appear- 
a n c e of a 
whale. The 
whalers, hav¬ 
ing been di¬ 
vided into 
crews of from 
five to seven, 
put off at once 
upon word 
from the look¬ 
out, and each 
boat strives to 
reach the 
whale first. In the bow sits the harpooner ready for the first opportunity, and 
when this comes he seizes the harpoon in his right hand, and the coil of rope 
in his left, and, as with all his force he hurls the weapon, he cries, “ Stem 
all.” Then the whale dives so rapidly and so deep that men are required to 
see that the rope does not foul, and by constantly running water upon it pre¬ 
venting fire by friction. At the expiration of half an hour, or an hour, the 
whale reappears on the surface, and the process must be repeated. 
The decreasing supply of whale oil has been compensated by the many 
