THE WHALE-FISHERY. 9 o Another instrument, called the lance, X . ± X which is a spear about six feet long, X X with the blade made very thin and X X sharp, is used to plunge into his vital X X parts and occasion his death. X X When the boat is as near the Whale ah X as is consistent with safety, the har- X ah pooner darts his weapon into the back x X of the monster. This is a dangerous X X moment; for when the Whale feels X the blow, he often lashes the sea with X X his tail with the greatest violence. X X But more commonly he darts down X X into the sea, to a great depth, dragging X X after him many hundred feet of the X X rope to which the harjoon is fastened, X X and drawing the boat through the wa- X X ter with great velocity. X X During this time, several other boats X X put off from the ship, and by spread- X X ing themselves about, some one of
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM4ODY=