A WHALE CAPTURED. 
41 
search, along with the greater part of the Green¬ 
land fleet, in a more southern latitude, we re¬ 
turned, as soon as the weather moderated, to¬ 
wards the north. This ship, the Volunteer of 
Whitby, with six sail in company, was the first 
we saw after leaving the coast of Ireland. 
May 6th .—Having regained the latitude of 
79° 31', we penetrated the ice, consisting of in¬ 
numerable detached masses, and occasional com¬ 
pact streams and patches, during the whole of the 
afternoon, towards the north-west. A small 
whale was seen in the evening, and next morn¬ 
ing a larger one appeared near the ship. All 
hands jumped upon deck, wishful to aid in the 
pursuit; but before greater force could be brought 
into action, a boat first dispatched came up with 
it, and a harpoon was thrust into its back. So 
alive were the men to the business on this occa¬ 
sion, that, on the usual cry of “ a fall,” every boat 
was found to be already manned, and all were in a 
few moments afloat. The whale desceuded, and 
remained invisible for half an hour: on re-ap¬ 
pearing at the surface, it was attacked with such 
ardour, that three other harpoons were almost 
immediately struck, and, after a short but ener¬ 
getic application of the lances, the huge animal, 
powerful as by nature its species is, yielded its 
life, and became our prize. 
