Archibald Hughson, the Young Shetlander | Page 8

sometimes she lay becalmed,
with her sails hanging against the masts. All the time a sharp look out
was kept for whales, but hitherto, although a few had been seen, the
wary monsters had escaped the harpoons of their pursuers.
At that season, in those northern regions, when the sun but just sinks
below the horizon ere it rises again, night and day are much alike.
Archy, with the watch below, had turned in. He was awakened by a
loud stamping on the deck, and the cry of "a fall, a fall." The men
rushed up on deck, carrying their clothes with them, and dressing as
they went. Instantly running to the boats, they began to lower them. In
the distance was a boat with a flag flying, a signal that a whale had
been struck, and was fast. The boats shoved off, and away they went at
a rapid rate to the assistance of their friends. The monster soon
appeared on the surface. The boats pulled towards it, and numberless
lances were darted at its body. Again it sounded, to reappear shortly
still closer to the ship. Once more the boats dashed on--the water
around the animal was dyed red with blood, mixed with oil, which
issued from its wounds and blow-holes. The boats again drew near, and
more lances were hurled at it. Suddenly the creature reared its tail high
in the air, whirling it round with a loud noise, which reached the ship.
At the same moment the nearest boat was thrown upwards several feet,
while the crew were sent flying on every side into the water, the boat
itself being reduced to a mass of wreck. Their companions went
forward to rescue the drowning men, who were seen to be hauled into

the boats; but whether any had perished could not be discovered by
those who, with Archy, were eagerly watching what was taking place,
from the deck of the ship. Directly afterwards the whale rolled over on
its side, and remained perfectly quiet. The flag was lowered, and the
men, standing up in the boats, gave three loud huzzas, which were
echoed by those on board. Two holes being made in the tail of the
whale, ropes were passed through them, which being made fast to the
boats, they towed their prize in triumph to the ship. The animal now
being secured alongside, the process of flensing or cutting off the
blubber commenced. Tackles were rigged with hooks, which were
fixed in the blubber. This was cut by means of spades, and the tackle
being worked by a windlass, as the blubber was cut off in long strips, it
was hoisted on board. Here it was cut into pieces, and stowed in casks
in the hold. Thus, as the whale was turned round and round, the blubber
was stripped off, till the whole coat was removed. The whalebone, of
which the gills are formed, being then extracted, the carcase was cast
adrift, when it was seen to be surrounded by vast numbers of fish and
wild sea-birds, coming from all directions to banquet on the remaining
flesh. The operation, which lasted five hours, being concluded, the
crew were piped to supper.
"There, Archy, you have seen our first whale killed," observed Max. "I
hope we shall have many more before long, and soon be back home
again; and if you are tired of the life, you can go on shore and look after
your mother's farm."
CHAPTER THREE.
THE "KATE" ENCOUNTERS A FEARFUL GALE AMID
ICEBERGS, AND NARROWLY ESCAPES A FALLING
BERG.--CALM AFTER STORM.--THOUGH SCOFFED AT BY HIS
SHIPMATES, ARCHY TRIES, UNSUCCESSFULLY, TO FOLLOW
THE ADVICE GIVEN HIM BY CAPTAIN IRVINE.
Captain Irvine was anxious to reach the northern point of Baffin Bay,
where whales were said to abound. He used, therefore, every exertion
to force the ship through the ice. Sometimes she threaded her way

through narrow passages, at the risk of being caught and nipped by the
floes pressing together; at others, to avoid this catastrophe, she had to
take shelter in a dock, cut out as rapidly as the crew could use their
saws, in one side of a floe. Scarcely had she been thus secured when
another floe, with a sullen roar, pressed on by an unseen power, would
come grinding and crashing against the first with irresistible force, and
the before level surface, rent and broken asunder, would appear heaved
up into large hillocks, and huge masses, many hundred tons in weight,
would be lifted on to the opposing barrier, threatening to overwhelm
the ship. Suddenly the whole field of ice would be again in motion, the
broken fragments would be thrown back on each other or pressed down
beneath the surface, and a lane of water would appear, edged on each