An account of several late voyages and discoveries

to Spitzbcrgen. 1 57 all of them row until they come vcry near un– to the U-'hale, thcn doth the Harpoonier arifc, who fits always bcfore in the Boat, wlicre thc Harpoon, 01· thc lbarp Iron mádc likc unto an Armw fixed to a Stick, doth alfo Jie on the foremoll board of thc Long-boar, which the Scameu ca11 the St11jfe», that is. the bread piccc of Wood that comcth up bcforc the Boat from the bottom, and fiands up higher than all the rell But when the Wh.tle runs ftrait down to– wards the bottom underneath the Water, then he doth d1·aw the Rope very hard, fo that the upper part of the Long-boat is even with the furface of che Water; nay, he would certainly pull it down to the bottom, if they fhould not give him Rope enough: This l1e doth com– monly wherc the Sea is deepell; and this dotli rcquire an incredible force to draw fo many hundred fathoms of Rope under VTater. This gives me occafion to remember, that when we on thc 27th of April, in the Ycar 1672. did fling out our Lead, near St. K.,ild11, behind Scort.1.;1d, inro the Sea, where it was 120 fatha&n dcep when the Weather was calm, and when we would pull it up again, it was fo heavy that 20 Meo had much ro do to heave it. The Har– poonicr taketh his Harpoon, and holds the Poim, or the lrorl thereof, together with the Rope or Line of five or fcven fathom long, about an inch thick, and is laid up round Jike a Ring, tha t it may not hinde1· the Harpoon when it is flung, for as foon as he doth fling or d1rt the Harpoon, chis Line fo,lows; for it is more