His new industry has been the making of Southern Norway and half of Tönsberg. But the Tönsberg people remember him with mixed feelings. They would not subscribe capital to their townsman’s new venture; not only that, but they insisted on his doing all his whale factory work outside the town. “All right,” he said, “if you won’t take a share in the business I will give you the ‘smell,’” and he built his works to windward and made many hundreds per cent. profit for years, and the Tönsberg people only got the smell. Now, however, there are very few men in Southern Norway who do not have shares in one modern whaling company or another, and the island of Nottero, for example, in the south of Norway, is dotted with pretty homesteads, owned by successful whaling owners, captains and mates. There they call whaling an Industry. Here, even though we tell of eighty per cent. dividends running for years, it is called a Speculation.
But to come back to our whales. Whilst enjoying the sun through the mist and the intense stillness we heard a deep growl or groan, something like a bear or a cow, a deep note which seemed to come from the floe across the little bay I have mentioned. Peering into the sunlight track, on the water we noticed forms moving and more groans came from these—Narwhals they are!—and away we go, get the gun uncovered and two ·475 shells in the breech of the big rifle, and just as we came to the place where they were, there they are no more, only an oily swirl on the faint ripples. So we lie on our oars and by-and-by they appear again down the ice-edge—seven or eight. I practise laying the gun and harpoon on to them and fondly hope I may get within range. Then comes the chief of the clan, a glorious fellow; how I do desire to own the great horn which I see for a moment. Next time he comes up. I feel sure I shall let go, and have the gun ready, feet spread out and the line all clear. But they are gone! off under the ice, and again we lie idly waiting. Then Archie whistles from the ship and signals that he has seen them out seawards and away we go, and as usual arrive at firing distance just as they “tail up” for their long dive.
Sperm breaching
Small Finner leaping
Some whales “tail up” before a long dive; some more, some less; some finners only do this A dive after showing several times and blasting B. But these narwhals show their dumpy feeble tail, C, as also does the sperm D, before the long dive. The rorquals’ tails are magnificent appendages, and it is often thrown clear of the sea when such a whale is “fast” or harpooned E. The sperm can make a big swipe with his tail; it is apparently more elastic in the spine than the finner. To see a sperm breaching is a fine sight; he runs fast along the surface, every second leaping clear out, or at least going, as it were, on his tail, and thumps down with a crash of spray. Though I have seen thousands of Finners I have only seldom seen them leaping clear of the water, but here is a jotting of one that rose several times within thirty yards of us—close enough! leap after leap, its tail ten feet clear of the sea, head first, straight up into the air and down again head first; what stupendous strength and what delicate colour, its underside white as kid, ribbed like corduroy, its back grey, glittering in the sun ([see page 235]).