whale, that is, at the distance of about fifteen feet, he bids them stop; perhaps she has a calf, whose safety attracts all the attention of the dam, which is a favourable circumstance; perhaps she is of a dangerous species, and it is safest to retire, though their ardour will seldom permit them; perhaps she is asleep, in that case he balances high the harpoon, trying in this important moment to collect all the energy of which he is capable.  He launches it forth—­she is struck:  from her first movements they judge of her temper, as well as of their future success.  Sometimes in the immediate impulse of rage, she will attack the boat and demolish it with one stroke of her tail; in an instant the frail vehicle disappears and the assailants are immersed in the dreadful element.  Were the whale armed with the jaws of a shark, and as voracious, they never would return home to amuse their listening wives with the interesting tale of the adventure.  At other times she will dive and disappear from human sight; and everything must give way to her velocity, or else all is lost.  Sometimes she will swim away as if untouched, and draw the cord with such swiftness that it will set the edge of the boat on fire by the friction.  If she rises before she has run out the whole length, she is looked upon as a sure prey.  The blood she has lost in her flight, weakens her so much, that if she sinks again, it is but for a short time; the boat follows her course with almost equal speed.  She soon re-appears; tired at last with convulsing the element; which she tinges with her blood, she dies, and floats on the surface.  At other times it may happen that she is not dangerously wounded, though she carries the harpoon fast in her body; when she will alternately dive and rise, and swim on with unabated vigour.  She then soon reaches beyond the length of the cord, and carries the boat along with amazing velocity:  this sudden impediment sometimes will retard her speed, at other times it only serves to rouse her anger, and to accelerate her progress.  The harpooner, with the axe in his hands, stands ready.  When he observes that the bows of the boat are greatly pulled down by the diving whale, and that it begins to sink deep and to take much water, he brings the axe almost in contact with the cord; he pauses, still flattering himself that she will relax; but the moment grows critical, unavoidable danger approaches:  sometimes men more intent on gain, than on the preservation of their lives, will run great risks; and it is wonderful how far these people have carried their daring courage at this awful moment!  But it is vain to hope, their lives must be saved, the cord is cut, the boat rises again.  If after thus getting loose, she re-appears, they will attack and wound her a second time.  She soon dies, and when dead she is towed alongside of their vessel, where she is fastened.

The next operation is to cut with axes and spades, every part of her body which yields oil; the kettles are set a boiling, they fill their barrels as fast as it is made; but as this operation is much slower than that of cutting up, they fill the hold of their ship with those fragments, lest a storm should arise and oblige them to abandon their prize.  It is astonishing what a quantity of oil some of these fish will yield, and what profit it affords to those who are fortunate enough to overtake them.