the Europeans, who are too nice and squeamish to eat his
flesh, send out great numbers of ships, every year, to destroy the poor
whale, merely for the sake of the oil which his body contains, and the
elastic bones which are known by the name of whalebone, and applied to
several purposes. When those who go upon this dangerous expedition
discern a whale floating at a distance, they instantly send out a large
boat to pursue him. Some of the men row along as gently as possible,
while the person that is appointed to attack the fish stands upon the
forepart of the boat, holding in his hand a sharp harpoon, with which he
is prepared to wound his prey. This is fastened to a long cord which
lies ready coiled up in the boat, so that they may let it out in an
instant, when the fish is struck; for such is his prodigious force,
that, should the least impediment occur to stop the rope in its passage,
he would instantly draw the boat after him down to the bottom of the
sea. In order to prevent these dangerous accidents, a man stands
constantly ready to divide the rope with a hatchet, in case it should
happen to tangle; and another is continually pouring water over it for
fear the swiftness of the motion should make it take fire. The poor
whale, being thus wounded, darts away with inconceivable rapidity, and
generally plunges to the bottom of the sea. The men have a prodigious
quantity of cord ready to let out, and when their store is exhausted
there are generally other boats ready to supply more. Thus is the poor
animal overpowered and killed, in spite of his immense bulk and
irresistible strength; for, gradually wearied with his own efforts and
the loss of blood, he soon relaxes in his speed, and rises again to the
top of the water. Then it is that the fishers, who have pursued him all
the time with the hopes of such an opportunity, approach him anew, and
attack him with fresh harpoons, till in the end his strength is entirely
exhausted, the waves themselves are tinged with a bloody colour from his
innumerable wounds, and he writhes himself about in strong convulsions
and unutterable pain. Then the conflict is soon at an end; in a short
time he breathes his last, and turning upon his back, floats like some
large vessel upon the surface of the sea. The fishers then approach, and
cut off the fins and other valuable parts, which they stow on board
their ships; the fat, or blubber, as it is often called, is received
into large hogsheads,