The foregoing should evince, that, under an effective government, for the present may be deemed a mere toleration of royalty, the island of Johanna might become important among its neighbours; and, so long as European vessels should continue to touch there for refreshments, might, carry on a brisk trade. Yet the total want of any thing like a harbour, must inevitably prove a great drawback on its prosperity. While there, our ship was driven by a sudden squall, issuing from between two immense mountains, from her anchorage, though she had two anchors out, and rode within a short half mile of the beach; and this, too, in remarkably clear weather. The mode of killing whales in the Mozambique Channel, and by the Africans all along their south-east coast, is extremely simple; it shews how much may be effected by perseverance; and affords, indeed, an admirable moral, together with no insignificant satire upon the great expence to which Europeans, engaged in that pursuit, put themselves, without becoming more certain of success. When a whale is seen within a moderate distance of the shore, basking, as they often do for hours together, with little intermission, during the heat of the day, the fishermen put off in their canoes, which are excavated from large trees, and equipped with out-riggers on each side. Generally, each canoe carries from four to six persons; but those which are intended to approach the whale, give over their crew, with the exception of one spearsman, and one paddler, to the other canoes. The paddler urges his canoe very gently, until within about eight or ten yards of the whale; sidling up with extreme caution so as to be parallel with its shoulders; this is done to avoid that lash of the tail which the fish invariably gives, as he plunges downwards, on feeling the spear enter his flesh. The weapons used on this occasion are about five feet long, extremely elastic, and loaded at each end with iron or lead; whereby not only the impetus is encreased, but the vibration, occasioned by the opposite weights, causes the point, which is of iron, very acute and barbed, to wriggle deeper into the flesh. Previous to striking, the head of the canoe is turned towards the whale, and a slight retrocessive motion is given; so that, at the very moment when the spear is delivered, the paddler may, by a sudden exertion, pull further away, and avoid the danger. It sometimes happens, that the spearsman is thrown from his station into the water, by the sudden motion of the boat opposed to his own action; being invariably expert swimmers, such an accident is not in the least regarded. After sinking to a great depth, the whale rises again to the surface, perhaps a mile off, where other boats are waiting to repeat the attack; by a succession of which he is, ordinarily in the space of an hour, so completely worn out, as to float without the power of resistance, when a long spear, pushed through between his ribs, speedily terminates the struggle.