The Columbus journal., 1886-02-10
THE FAROEs.
xhs 0oDmunlstic System OF whale Fish
ing En- Vogue In These Northern Isles.

'.grind" (short for Grindehval; Danish
for bottle-nosed whale) before he leaves
those happy, primitive Northern Isles.
He also gets familiarized with the sight
OF bones and other relics of the creature
itself. For, wherever he goes, whale
heads, picked clean by the gray-crested
Farce ravens, excite his attention.
They lie bleaching in the grass of the
quaint little meadow-patches by the
villages. indistinguishable at distance
from the white lichened boulders which
surround them. They serve as build
ing material in the construction of
field walls. We have seen two set on
end to compose q stile. Cows are
tethered to them. And in some places,
more particularly after comparative
ly recent catch, they are stacked many
feet high like substantial and stimu-
.lating trophy of success. Next to the
skulls the separated joints of the ami
mails backbone are most abundant.
But these for some reason are not so
thoroughly divested of flesh as
the skull, and are therefore like
" to displease ones sense of sight
and smell. Again, hung outside the
majority of the little wooden, grass
rooted houses of the villages, are nu-
merous wrinkled strips of black and
brown substance, not unlike India rub
ber. Sometimes this substance, ad-
heres to the sides of the house, and oc-
casionally it gets a trifle green in parts.
But, be its condition what it may, to
. stranger its appearance and color are
very repulsive. This is whale-meat
undergoing the process of being wind
dried, whereby it may be kept and
eaten months after the slaughter of the
animal. And, lastly, for the tarred
bladders of different shapes, bound
round at one end with tarred cord,
dangling here and there by the houses,
the fisher-folk are also indebted to the
grind; these are its stomach and intes.
tines, and are used as floats for the
fishing-nets.
The excitement that pervades the
islands when message of grind is
recognized is very remarkable. A boat
out at sea may be the first to discern
the creatures. Instantly rag of some
kind "a shirt, may beg is hoisted on the
mast, and the happy news is thus sig
nailed to the shore. Thence the INTEL
ligence is carried from village to vii
lage, over mountains, across fiOrds and
sounds, until hundreds and thousands
of the inhabitants are informed of it.
The little children run about in q
frantic state of glee, shouting the word
''Grindabo!' teach other. The women
hustle and chatter and hasten to put up
some black bread and dried meat or
fish for their husbands, sons and broth
ers, who have already, at the earliest
warning, run down to the beach and
launched the whale-boats for the pur-
suit of the grind. And soon, from the
still blue waters of the mountain fiords,
boat after boat is seen pressing eagerly
out to sea. This is especially the case
when the grind is sighted primarily
from the land; for then the boat which
first comes up with the herd is entitled
to the finest of the animals, after the
slaughter, over and above its equitable
share.
Strategy has now to be exercised
The tide has to be considered, and the
place; for herd will not face strong
tide; and not every bay is suitable for
the successful capture of the animals.
II. however. no good landing place be
near. and the tide be opposed to pass
age toward better voc Gas whale bay
is called). the grind are driven into
temporary quarters; and there Laid
by" until conditions are more favOra-
bic. The seaward part of the bay is
guarded by boats, and the animals
calmly pack themselves together as
closely as possible. and await their
fate. So eager are they sometimes to
get what protection they can from their
own bulk, that they form themselves
into huge cubic mass. the topmost
members of which are impelled out of
the water. Stray individuals now and
again separate themselves from the
rest, and either float TRANQUILITY on the
surface or tread water deliberately,
thrusting their square heads above the
waves; but all are safe from escape un-
til daybreak, when they get restless,
and are ready to follow the guidance
of any bold grind who may make a rush
for the open sea.
Sometimes the boats have a hard
chase before they can head the herd
In one instance the men were rowing
in pursuit for three days, and covered
nearly fifty miles of waterway ere they
succeeded in the capture. But when
a good bay is at hand and the tide is
favorable the business is carried through
very quickly. The boats form a half
circle round the herd to cut off its re-
treat toward the sea, and the men
reduce it to a state of terrified obedi-
ence by throwing stones after it, and
by beating stone and iron or tin to-
gether under the water. The sound
distresses the grind and the bubbles
caused by the falling stones excite an
almost insuperable fear within them
They hurry before the boats and the
shower of stones like sheep before a
shepherds dog; and thus they soon ap-
proach the place destined for their de-
struction.
The boats now marshal themselves in
three rows between the head of the bay
and the fated grind; so that if by
chance they take fright and attempt
bolt, some opposition may be made,
and turn if possible effected. Then
one boat pulls into the herd and man
stationed in the prov wounds one of
the animals with his lance. This
wounded grind charges through the
others, spreading the utmost terror in
all directions. A panic ensues, and
rush forward is made by some of the
animals. who thus get stranded on the
sloping beach of the bay, where they
are speedily killed by the islanders in
wait for them. The other boats of the
first row in the meantime pull into the
herd, and in few hours several hun
dred grind will be lying gashed and
still, drawn up on the shore, there to be
numbered and valued by the Crown
officer and special appraisers.
The apportionment of the grind.
which Immediately succeeds the death
of the last animal. is little compi-
Gated for the understanding of any but
Faroemen. But, briefly, when a tenth
of the whole has been deducted (which
tepth is divided equally between the
Crown, the Church and the pastor of