Fast-Fish and Loose-Fish

           Theallusiontothewaif-polesinthelastchapterbutone,necessitatessomeaccountofthelawsandregulationsofthewhalefishery,ofwhichthewaifmaybedeemedthegrandsymbolandbadge.

           Itfrequentlyhappensthatwhenseveralshipsarecruisingincompany,awhalemaybestruckbyonevessel,thenescape,andbefinallykilledandcapturedbyanothervessel;andhereinareindirectlycomprisedmanyminorcontingencies,allpartakingofthisonegrandfeature.Forexampleafterawearyandperilouschaseandcaptureofawhale,thebodymaygetloosefromtheshipbyreasonofaviolentstorm;anddriftingfarawaytoleeward,beretakenbyasecondwhaler,who,inacalm,snuglytowsitalongside,withoutriskoflifeorline.Thusthemostvexatiousandviolentdisputeswouldoftenarisebetweenthefishermen,weretherenotsomewrittenorunwritten,universal,undisputedlawapplicabletoallcases.

           Perhapstheonlyformalwhalingcodeauthorizedbylegislativeenactment,wasthatofHolland.ItwasdecreedbytheStates-GeneralinA.D.1695.Butthoughnoothernationhaseverhadanywrittenwhalinglaw,yettheAmericanfishermenhavebeentheirownlegislatorsandlawyersinthismatter.TheyhaveprovidedasystemwhichfortersecomprehensivenesssurpassesJustinian’sPandectsandtheBy-lawsoftheChineseSocietyfortheSuppressionofMeddlingwithotherPeople’sBusiness.Yes;theselawsmightbeengravenonaQueenAnne’sforthing,orthebarbofaharpoon,andwornroundtheneck,sosmallarethey.

           I.

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