hand.

One of the laws of the fishery universally adhered to, is, that
whenever a whale is loose, whatever may be the case or circumstances,
it becomes a free prize to the first person who gets hold of it. Thus,
when a whale is killed, and the flensing is prevented by a storm, it
is usually taken in tow; if the rope by which it is connected with the
ship should happen to break, and the people of another ship should
seize upon it while disengaged, it becomes their prize. The following
circumstance, which occurred a good many years ago, has a tendency to
illustrate the existing Greenland laws.

During a storm of wind and snow several ships were beating to
windward, under easy sail, along the edge of a pack. When the storm
abated and the weather cleared, the ships steered towards the ice. Two
of the fleet approached it, about a mile assunder, abreast of each
other, when the crews of each ship accidentally got sight of a dead
fish at a little distance, within some loose ice. Each ship now made
sail, to endeavor to reach the fish before the other; which fish being
loose, would be a prize to the first who could get possession of it.
Neither ship could out sail the other, but each contrived to press
forward towards the prize. The little advantage one of them had in
distance, the other compensated with velocity. On each bow of the two
ships, was stationed a principal officer, armed with a harpoon in
readiness to discharge. But it so happened that the ships came in
contact with each other, when within a few yards of the fish, and in
consequence of the shock with which their bows met, they rebounded to
a considerable distance. The officers at the same moment discharged
their harpoons, but all of them fell short of the fish. A hardy fellow
who was second mate of the leeward ship immediately leaped overboard
and with great dexterity swam to the whale, seized it by the fin, and
proclaimed it his prize. It was, however, so swollen, that he was
unable to climb upon it, but was obliged to remain shivering in the
water until assistance should be sent. His captain elated with his
good luck, forgot, or at least neglected his brave second mate; and
before he thought of sending a boat to release him from his
disagreeable situation, prepared to moor his ship to an adjoining
piece of ice. Meanwhile the other ship tacked, and the master himself
stepped into a boat, pushed off and rowed deliberately towards the
dead fish. Observing the trembl