When the whale returns to Greenland, the fishermen equip themselves with sharp knives, harpoons, spears, and arrows, with a number of large skins of the see-dog, inflated. Thus equipped, they launch their canoes. The harpoon which they usually employ is pointed with bone, or a sharp stone ; some, indeed, have ' harpoons of iron, which they procure from the Danes, by barter for the oil or fat of the whale. The scarcity of iron and wood makes these articles extremely valuable to Greenlanders, and has excited their ingenuity, to avoid the risk of losing them. For this purpose an inflated bladder of dog's akin is attached to the harpoon; so that, in case it should not reach the whale, when they attempt to strike, it may float on the water and be recovered. They approach them with astonishing boldness, and endeavour to fix, by means of their harpoons, which they throw at his body, some of the skins inflated with air ; for, notwithstanding the enormous bulk of this animal, two or three of these skins, by the resistance which they make to the water, on account of their diminished specific gravity, greatly impede his attempts at plunging into the deep. Having by this means succeeded in arresting his progress, they approach nearer, and with their lances pierce his body, till he becomes languid and at last dies. The fishermen then plunge into the sea with their skin jackets filled with air, and swim to their prize ; and, floating on the surface of the water, they cut off with their knives, from every part of the whale, the fat or blubber, which is thrown into the canoes ; and not withstanding the rudeness of their instruments, their dexterity is such, that they can extract from the mouth the greatest part of the whalebone.
The boldest and most astonishing mode of fishing the whale, is that which is by the Indians on the coast of Florida. When the whale appears, they to their bodies two pieces of wood and a mallet; and these instruments, with their canoe, form the whole of their fishing equipage. When they approach the whale they throw themselves into the water, and, swimming directly towards Mtn, they have the address to get on his neck, taking care to avoid the stroke of his fin or tan. When the whale first spouts, the Indian introduces one of the pieces of wood into the opening of one of the blow-holes, and drives it home with the mallet. The whale thus attacked, instantly plunges, and carries the Indian with him, who keeps fast hold of the animal ; the whale, which has now only one blow-hole, soon returns to the surface of the water to respire ; and if the Indian succeeds in fixing the other piece of wood into the second blow-hole the whale again descends to the bottom, but a moment after reappears on the surface, where he remains motionless, and immediately expires, by the interruption of the function of respiration.