§. III. The Description of the seuerall sorts of Whales, with the manner of killing them: Whereto is added the Description of Greenland. [ 10]
THe Whale is a Fish or Sea-beast of a huge bignesse, about sixtie fiue * foot long, and thirtie fiue foot thicke, his head is a third part of all his bodies quantitie, his spacious mouth contayning a very great tongue, and all his finnes, which we call Whale finnes. These finnes are fastned or rooted in his vpper chap, and spread ouer his tongue on both sides his mouth, being in number about two hundred and fiftie on one side, and as many on the other side. The longest finnes are placed in the midst of his mouth, and the rest doe shorten by their proportionable degrees, backward and forwards, from ten or eleuen foot long to foure in∣ches in length,* his eyes are not much bigger then an Oxes eyes, his body is in fashion almost [ 20] round forwards, growing on still narrower towards his tayle from his bellie, his tayl• is about twentie foot broad, and of a tough solid substance, which we vse for blockes to chop the Blubber on (which yeelds Oyle) and of like nature are his two swimming finnes (and they grow for∣ward on him.)
This creature commeth oftentimes aboue water, spouting eight or nine times before he goeth downe againe, whereby he may be descried two or three leagues off. Then our Whale-killers presently rowe forth from the place where they stand to watch for him, making what haste they can to meet him: but commonly before they come neere him, he will be gone downe a∣gaine, and continue a good while before he riseth; so that sometimes they rowe past him. Yet are they very circumspect, euer looking round where they may espie him risen, or discerne his [ 30] way vnder water, which they call his Walke. When he is vp and the Shallops neere him, they rowe towards him very resolutely, as if they would force the Shallop vpon him, if hee went downe vnder water: but the Harponyre, who standeth vp in the head of the Boat, darteth his Harping-iron at the Whale with both his hands, so soone as he commeth within his reach; wher∣with the Whale being strucken, presently descendeth to the bottome, and therefore doe they reare out a rope of two hundred fathome, which is fastned to the Harping-iron, and lieth coy∣led in the Boat: And they let him haue as much of the rope as reacheth to the bottome, and when they perceiue him rising they hale in the rope to get neere him, and when the Whale commeth vp aboue water, then do the men lance him with their lances, either out of one Shallop or the other; for most commonly there bee two Shallops about the killing of one Whale. In [ 40] lancing him they strike neere to the finnes he swimmeth withall, and as lowe vnder water neere his bellie as conueniently they can:* but when he is lanced, he friskes and strikes with his tayle so forcibly, that many times when hee hitteth a Shallop hee splitteth her in pieces; so that the men are relieued and taken in by another Shallop: and sometimes he striketh so fully vpon them, that some of the men are either maymed, or killed with his stroke. Therefore they who vnder∣take this businesse which is the principall thing in the Voyage, must not onely bee bold and reso∣lute, but also discreet and wary; otherwise their rash forwardnesse may preuent them of their expected conquest; considering they haue no shield to withstand the offended beast their enemy, but onely by a heedfull warinesse to auoide the receiuing of his dangerous stroke. Swimming is also requisite for a Whale-killer to be expert in, for it may be a meanes to saue his life, when [ 50] he hath lost his Boat, and another is not neere presently to helpe him.
The Whale hauing receiued his deadly wound, then he spouteth bloud (whereas formerly he cast forth water) and his strength beginneth to fayle him; but before he dieth, hee will some∣times draw the Shallop three or foure miles from the place where he was first stricken: and as he is a dying, he turneth his bellie vpwards, which lieth vppermost being dead. Then they fa∣sten a rope to his tayle, and with the Shallops, one made fast to another, they towe him towards the ship with his tayle foremost. Then doe they lay him crosse the sterne of the ship, where he is cut vp in this manner; two or three men in a Boat or Shallop come close to the side of the Whale, and hold the Boat fast there with a Boat-hooke; and another standing either in the Boat, or most commonly vpon the Whale, cutteth the fat (which we call Blubber) in square pieces with [ 60] a cutting Knife, three or foure foot long. Then to race it from the flesh, there is a Crane or Cap∣sten placed purposely vpon the poope of the ship, from whence there descendeth a rope with a hooke in it; this hooke is made to take hold on a piece of Blubber: and as the men winde the Capsten, so the cutter with his long knife looseth the fat from the flesh, euen as if the lard of a Page 471 Swine were to be cut off from the leane. When a piece is in order cut off, then let they lower the Crane, and let downe the Blubber to flote vpon the water, and make a hole in some part of it, putting a rope thorow it; and so they proceed to cut off more, fastning ten or twentie pie∣ces together to bee towed a shoare at one time, being made fast to the sterne of a Boat or Shallop. These pieces being thus brought vnto the shoare side, they are drawne by one and one vpon the shoare with an high Crane, or carried vp by two men on a Barrow vnto a Stage, there to be cut into small pieces about a foot long, but thin: then it is carried vnto the choppers by two boyes, with two little hand-hookes, taking in each hand a piece, and so they put it into half-tubs which stand behind the choppers, out of which the choppers take it vp; who stand at the side of a boat which is raised of an equall height fit for the furnace. And the boat being fitted with all [ 10] things necessarie for the choppers, they place the chopping blockes, which they make of the Whales tayle, and the Blubber is layd ready for them, as they vse it, in small pieces vpon the boord whereon they stand. Then the choppers take it vp with hand-hookes, and lay it on their blockes, and chop it in thin pieces (the thinner he cuts it, the better it is) and when it is chop∣ped, they put it off the blocke downe into the Shallop, with a short Paddle made like a Cole∣rake: and thus doe sixe or eight men stand chopping on the one side of the boat, and on the o∣ther side of the boat about two or three yards distant are the Furnaces and Coppers placed and heated. Then betweene the chopping boat and the Coppers, is layd a broad thicke planke, on which standeth a hogshead, which contayneth as much as is put into the Copper, at one time for one boyling, and the tub being emptied, is made to slide vnto the chopping boat againe, be∣ing [ 20] there filled with a copper ladle againe, and put into another Copper. When it is boyled enough, the small pieces of Blubber, which wee call Fritters, will looke browne as if they were fried. Then are they taken out with copper ladles, and some of the Oyle also with them, and put into a Barrow made close to dreyne the Oyle, which standeth ouer another Shallop, that is set on the back-side of the Furnace to receiue the Oyle in, and as soone as the Fritters are taken cleane out of the Copper, then presently is the tub of small Blubber emptied into the Copper againe to be also boyled.
The Boat into which the hot Oyle is put out of the Coppers, is euer kept halfe full of water, which doth not onely coole the Oyle before it runne into the Caske, but also is a cleanser of it from drosse, which descendeth to the bottome of the Boat. Out of the Oyle-boat doth the [ 30] Oyle runne thirtie or fortie yards in Troughs or Gutters, and so into Buts or Hogsheads, which being filled, is rolled off to coole, and another Caske layd to fill, and when there is any quan∣titie of Oyle made, it is carried aboord the ship in rafts. In this manner is the Oyle saued and prepared.
Now concerning the Whale Finnes,* the Whales head being cut off from the body (as hee floteth at the sterne of the ship where hee is cut vp) is towed by a Boat as neere the shoare as it will come: but it is aground in twelue or thirteene foot water, then by crabes which are pla∣ced on land it is drawne on land, at seuerall times when the water is at highest, so neere the dry shoare, that men at a lowe water with their Boats on, cut off the Blubber and Finnes, which by the crabes are drawne on shoare, and the Finnes are with Axes, one seuered from another, and [ 40] being made cleane, are packed vp by fiftie in a bundle, and so shipped.
There are eight seuerall kinds of Whales, and differing the one from the other in goodnesse, quantitie and qualitie.*
The first sort of Whale is called the Grand-bay, taking his name from Grand-bay in New∣foundland, as hauing there beene first killed: he is blacke of colour, with a smooth skinne,* and white vnderneath the chaps. This Whale is the best for Oyle and Finnes of all the rest (and doth yeeld most the elder it growes.) This sort of Whale doth yeeld about an hundred hogsheads of Oyle, and some fiue hundred Finnes.
The second sort of Whale is called Sarda, of the same colour as the former,* but somewhat lesser, and the Finnes likewise lesser, and yeelds in Oyle according to his bignesse, sometimes se∣uentie [ 50] hogsheads, or eightie hogsheads. This Whale hath naturally growing vpon his backe, white things like vnto Barnacles.
The third sort of Whale is called Trumpa, being as long as the first, but thicker forwards,* of colour more gray then the former, hauing but one spoute in his head, and the rest haue all two; he hath in his mouth teeth about a span long, and as thicke as a mans wrist, but no finnes▪ his head is bigger then the two former, and in proportion farre bigger then his bodie. In the head of this Whale is the Permesitie, which lieth there in a hole like a Well.* This is the Whale that is supposed to yeeld the Ambergreese; There taken about fortie hogsheads of Oyle besides the Permesitie.
The fourth sort of Whale is called Otta Sotta, and is of the same colour of the Trumpa,* hauing [ 60] finnes in his mouth all white, but not aboue halfe a yard long, being thicker then the Trumpa, but not so long: he yeelds the best Oyle, but not aboue thirtie hogsheads.
The fift sort of Whale is called Gibarta, of colour blacke like the two first,* sauing that it hath standing vpon the top of his backe, a finne halfe a yard long. This Whale is as bigge Page 472 as the first; his fins little or nothing worth, being not aboue halfe a yard long: and hee yeel∣deth about twelue hogsheads of Oyle, all which his backe yeelds; as for his bellie it yeelds nothing at all.
*The sixt •ort is called Sedeua, being of a whitly colour, and bigger then any of the former, the finnes not aboue one foot long, and he yeelds little or no Oyle.
*The seuenth is called Sedeua Negro, of colour blacke, with a bumpe on his backe; this Whale yeelds neither Oyle, finnes, nor teeth, and yet he is of a great bignesse.
*The eight sort is called Sewria, of colour as white as snow, of the bignesse of a Wherrie, he yeelds not aboue one hogshead or two of Oyle, nor any finnes, and is good meate to be eaten.
[ 10]The description of Greenland.
*GReenland is a place in Nature nothing like vnto the Name: for certainly there is no place in the World, yet knowne and discouered that is lesse greene then it. It is couered with snow, both the Mountaines and the lower Lands, till about the beginning of Iune, being very Mountainous, and beareth neither grasse nor tree, saue onely such as grow vpon the Moores and heathie grounds, in the North parts of England, which we call Heath, or Ling. This groweth when the snow melteth, and when the ground beginneth to be vncouered. And on this doe the Deere feed in the Summer time, and become very fat therewithall in a moneths space, but how [ 20] they liue in the Winter time it is not easily to be imagined. For seeing at the end of May wee find the ground all couered with snow, it is very like, that in the time of Winter there is no part bare, where any thing can grow; especially during the time that the Sunne is altogether depressed vnder the horizon, which in the latitude of 77. degrees, continueth from the eighteenth of October till the fourth of Februarie. This Countrey by all probabilities hath neuer been inha∣bited by any people; notwithstanding, I thinke men might liue there, carrying thither good store of prouision of victuals, and other things necessary against the cold, which perhaps will be ve∣hement in the Winter time, by the former reasons; namely, because the Sunne remayneth so long vnder the Horizon.
Neuerthelesse, there will not be any continuance of darknesse, because the Sunne in his grea∣test [ 30] declination will be but 10. degrees vnder the Horizon, at this time of his being in the South of the Meridian in the former latitude of 77. degrees, which is once in foure and twentie houres; and therefore the time of their Noone will bee much lighter then our Night here in England, when the dayes are at the longest; for then is the Sunne 15. degrees vnder the Horizon at mid∣night, and yet the greatest darknesse is but like twi-light. And although it bee a generall saying, and a common receiued opinion, that the further North the greater cold, yet experience tea∣cheth, that it is not alwaies true. For at M•sco, and thereabouts in the Winter time, there is ex∣treme frosts and cold weather, insomuch that oftentimes men are brought home dead, being starued with cold; and many haue their noses and eares caused to fall off, through the extremity of the piercing aire: yet at Edenborrow, which is more Northerly by one degree and an halfe, [ 40] and in all places neere vnto it the aire is temperate, and the cold tolerable, the snow neuer lying any long time on the ground after it is fallen. Notwithstanding, wee haue snow remayning all the yeere long in diuers places of England, but the reason of this is, because the aire is euer war∣mest neere vnto the Sea shoare,* (as Edenborrow standeth) and contrariwise the cold is most ve∣hement in places which are farthest remote from the Sea, as Mosco is situated.
All the Creatures that appeare vnto vs vpon the Land, are Deere, Beares, and Foxes, and sun∣drie sorts of wilde Fowle, as Cuthbert Duckes, Willockes, Stints, Sea-pigeons, Sea-parrets, Gulls, Noddies, &c. The Author addes a discourse of sending condemned men to inhabite there, with diuers proiects for their seruice there, for the further discouerie how best to bee effected, for such things as are most necessary for this employment of Whale-killing, &c. but because experience hath gi∣uen best instructions already, and destructions must otherwise be preuented, I haue forborne to detayne [ 50] the Reader in those (otherwise iudicious) speculations.
The Southermost part of Greenland stands in 76. degrees 30. minutes, which wee call, Point Looke out, and we haue discouered all the West side of the Land as farre vnto the Northwards as 80▪ degrees odde minutes: in which compasse wee haue already experience of sixe or eight good Harbours for the killing of the Whale; and on the East side we haue discouered as farre as 78. degrees, finding diuers Ilands, great and small, yeelding good Harbours, and store of Whales, and Sea-horses; and for a further discouery on the East side, I am perswaded it had beene farre greater, if the Dutch had not so disturbed vs in our proceedings, as also the Hull-men, who euer practised to follow our steps, after the discouerie within one yeere or two: as by our Masters Iournall more at large may appeare. The best actions haue their hindrances and crosses, and so [ 60] hath this had; for, the Dutch haue beene a bane to this Trade and Discouerie: The Hull-men haue done some bad seruice in this Action, for they were the first that carried the Dutch to the Tutches, as by Wi•••dens Oath and Iournall appeares, they were also a cause of that bad Voyage, Page [unnumbered] Page 472
A Whale is ordinarly about 60 foote longe
When the whale comes aboue water ye shallop rowes towards him and being within reach of him the harpoiner darts his harpingiron at him out of both his hands and being fast they lance him to death
The whale is cut up as hee lyes floating crosse the stearne of a shipp the blubber is cut from the flesh by peeces 3 or 4 foote long and being rased is rowed on shore towards the coppers
They place 2. or 3. coppers on a r•• and ye chopping boat on the one side and the cooling boate on the other side to receiue ye oyle of ye coppers, the chopt blubber being boyled is taken 〈◊〉 out of the coppers and put in wiker baskets or barowes throwgh wch the oyle is dreaned and run̄es into ye cooler wch is fall of water out of wch it is convaied by troughs into buts or hogsheads
The manner of killing ye Seamorces
The Seamorce is in quantity as bigg as an oxe
When the whale is killed hee is in this man{er} towed to the shipps by twoe or three shal∣lops made fast one to another
The peeces of blubber are towed to the shore side by a shallop and drawne on shore by a crane or caried by twoe menn on a barrowe to ye twoe cutters wch cutts them the breadth of a trencher and very thin̄e & by twoe boys are caried wth handhooks to ye choppers
Thus they make cleane and scrape ye whale fins
A tent and Coopers at worke
REader, I present thee here three admirable Voyages of Discouery made by the Dutch, no whit en∣uying their due prayse, but honouring their worthy Acts and Arts. They haue formerly beene pub∣lished in Dutch, and translated by W. Philip. I haue heere abbreuiated them, as my vse is with others, [ 10] to auoid prolixitie. The Dutch themselues * write that after the English Russian Trade, one Oliuer Bunell moued with hope of gaine, went from Enckhuysen to Pechora, where he lost all by shipwracke, hauing discouered Costinsarca in Noua Zemla. These Nauigations of the English, and that of Bu∣nell, and the hopes of China and Cathay, caused the States Generall to send forth two shippes vnder the command of Hugo Linschoten, to the Streights of Wey-gates, and two others vnder William Ber∣nards, by the perswasion of P. Plancius to goe right Northwards from Noua Zemla. Linschot went fiftie miles beyond the Streights, the Northerly winds, and late season forcing him backe. Bernards Iournall here followeth, of that and his two later Voyages, the two later written by one employed therein.
