The author offers a chronological account of northern whale-fishing and traces how its locations, techniques, and organization changed over time. Practical hunting conditions and vessel operations are described alongside detailed portrayals of modern expeditions in high-latitude grounds and a comparative account of expenses and profits. The work explains methods for extracting oil and preparing baleen and surveys the applications of those products. It concludes with a narrative of a whale-fishing voyage that recounts shipboard procedures and the measures taken to preserve a vessel under particularly dangerous circumstances.