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boat the whale no ſooner gets the wound with the harpun than ſhe dives down, and runs for it, and hawls the boat after her by the line, with ſuch ſwiftneſs that they need to row no more, but ſets their oar up us a maſt, by way of a sign to the ſhip, and thoſe other boats about her.
That they ſtroke a fiſh to come to their aid, leſt they ſhould need help, or their line run out, for they muſt ſometimes pay it out with ſuch ſpeed, that one has to throw water upon the boats ſtem leaſt it ſhould take fire: and till their line brake, or the harpun ſlip, no other ſhips crew muſt throw out a dart at her. She runs without reſt only up to blow out the water, and take breath then down again, and runs ſo far below water before ſhe riſe. If ſhe runs below the ice and riſes there in a miſtake, it weakens her greatly: by foundering herſelf on the ice, and being deprived of breath. I was in the boat
myſelf in chace of one, when ſhe turned and roſe dirrectly below our boat, and carried us up out of the water on her back, as on the top of a black rock, but providence was ſo kind, that our boat hurled down by her broad ſide for had we falen down before her. ſhe had run us down, or had we come down behind her, ſhe would kove our boat in peices, with a ſwaſh of her tail.
We was another time out on the Bran-watch, and lying to beſide the ice, liſtening to hear the
