as a ae 
1201.) - 
likewifé, very advantageous. When they 
are found apart in places almoft inac- 
“ceffible, they are fometimes fo tame, that 
they may be taken with the hand ; and if 
they are wild, nets are laid for them; and 
the method which thefe iflanders employ 
to catch them is alike curious and danger- 
ous. Two men, armed with ftaves of 
four fathoms in length, furnifhed with 
branches forming a net or fnare, tye them- 
felves together with a cord of from eight 
to ten fathoms, and by means of a plank 
adapted to the end of the faves, one of 
them, placing it wader the feat of the 
other, raifes it rill it meets a folid point 
of fupport on fome projection of the rock ; 
then the latter 2ffifts his comrade to rife 
by belp of the rope ; this operation is re- 
peated from precipice to precipice, till the 
adventurers have gained the fummit of 
the rock,-or, at Jeaft, the crevice which 
ferves foran afylumto the birds. Inftances 
have been known of one of thefe bravoes 
happening to flip, when, dragging along 
the other, both are tumbled down headlong. 
Some rocks are of fo fharp and fleep a 
cut, that they cannot climb them by help 
of the ftaves or poles; in this cafe they 
endeavour toafcend them another way; when 
arrived at them, fix men tie a feventh to 
a cord, which they keep hold of, and thus 
make it carefully defcend into the diffe- 
rent cavities which the flank of the rock 
prefents, to catch the birds that have 
lodged there. By a fecond cord the latter 
gives the fignal when he wifhes to ftop or 
to be lifted up. This chace ufually takes 
place at the approach of night and incalm 
weather. One man can take ina night 
many hundreds of birds. It is fometimes 
neceflary to tie another cord to the extremity 
of that which fupports the fowler and to 
fix it on a boat placed on the fea ; by this 
means they can give hima flight or range 
of 20 fathoms which enables him to pene- 
trate every where. It is eafy to conceive 
what muft be the addrefs and the courage 
of thefe perfons ; let it be fuppofed only, 
as it often happens, that the man in paffing 
over a large piece of rock, happens to de- 
tach it from the mafs, and he is inevitably 
crufhed under it. 
The fifhery here was, in ancient times, 
an object.of the greateft importance; at 
prefent, the fifth are no longer in fuch 
abundance, and the moment is perhaps 
¢ome, when it would be advantageous to 
_facrifice this branch of induftry to agri- 
‘culture. 
The whale fithery offers a curious fpec- 
Ferro Tfles. int Sit 
: &- : 
tacle. The whale, which is found heré 
at ftated periods, is of a fmall fpecies, but 
is met with in compaities of roo, and even 
1000. © They are commonly dilcovered in 
open fea by the fifhers; as foon as they 
are perceived, the fifherman gives a pre- 
concerted fignal to the other boats, which 
collect and drive thofe enormous animals 
before them, by repeatedly hurling large 
_ pebbles behind them. When this man- 
ceuvre is perceived on the coalt, meffen- 
gers are immediately difpatched to fpread 
abroad the agreeable news. One party 
throw themfelves into the boats to affitt 
the fifhers, others wait onthe fhore; bread, 
meat, &c. are brought; a¢clamations of 
joy are heard, and, being repeated from 
rock to rock, often precede the arrival of 
the meffenger. 
Sometimes the whales themfelves are 
driven like a tame flock; at other times 
they efcape ¥ a frefh chace is then com- 
menced, and by oars and pebbles fuccef- 
fively hurled at them, they are forced to 
\ 
turn towards the fhore; which often caufes, - 
a painful labour of many days and nights; 
and, to augment the misfortune, fome- 
times without fuccefs, When they have 
been able to pufh the whales into fome 
gulph or creck, it will be requifite, in 
dark weather, to furround it with a femi- 
circle of boats, that they may not efcape 
inthe night. In thé day-time, fires are 
kindled on the coaft, that the fmoke may 
conceal the fight of land, and likewife 
becaufe it has been obferved, that the 
whale fleers fer the coaft where the full 
moon appears, when that luminary is fink- 
ing on the horizon. 
_ But foon the combat commences ; the 
boats break the femicircle, and dart into 
the midft of the whales; the feamen armed. 
with a kind of long pikes, difplay all 
their addrefs to wound as many whales 
as poffible, and above all try to direc 
their blows towards the tail of the animal ; 
‘but they take great care not to ftrike them 
when they are too near; in fuch a cafe 
they would not fail to overfet.and even 
break the boats. 
When the attack is thus commenced, 
the troop of whales fpring forwards 
towards the land, impelling an immenfe 
volume of water before them, with which. 
they precipitate themfelves on the-coatt, 
where many remain dry. : 
Now is the time for thofe who had re- 
mained on the fhore in: concealment to 
fhew themfelves ; they now run up and 
throw themfelyes onthe whales, to wound ° 
them 
