Part 11

LANCING

To kill the whale at a single thrust required the greatest skill, and the boat to be laid on at the right spot.

The mate, awaiting the moment when he could reach the “life,” made repeated thrusts with his lance in order to weaken the victim.

The success of the final stroke was proclaimed by “spouting red”--and the dying whale went into a “flurry,” which consisted of swimming round in a gradually diminishing circle until with a final thrashing of his giant flukes he rolled over on his side “fin out.”

TOWING TO THE SHIP

If more whales were in the vicinity, the dead one was “waifed” with a small red flag and the pursuit resumed.

A whale usually ran to windward--leaving the ship far to leeward, shorthanded, and faced with a long beat to pick up her boats.

A line was made fast by a hole cut in the flukes, the boats were connected, and all hands put their backs into the arduous task of towing back to the ship.

CUTTING-IN DIAGRAM

A--Jaw of the Sperm whale

B--Case

C--Junk

D--White Horse

E--Blanket or blubber, which was stripped from the carcass in a spiral fashion. The blubber hook was inserted in a hole, f, for the first cut.

G--H--Head and lips of the Bowhead. The latter were very rich in oil.

The same method of stripping was employed in all species of whales.

REMOVING THE LOWER JAW OF A SPERM WHALE

Cutting in was always done on the starboard side of the ship, and if possible, to windward, so that wind pressure on the sails tended to lift the side of the vessel and sustain the great weight of blubber coming aboard.

The sketch shows the cutting stage rigged out, the huge tackle made fast to the jaw, and the mates on the stage disjointing it with their spades.

The jaw had no commercial value whatever. When a particularly large one was taken, stripped, and dried, it made a picturesque gateway for the captain’s garden at home, and the great teeth were used by the crew for their “scrimshaw” work.

THE JUNK

The jaw having been removed, the junk was then taken off and brought on deck to be cut up and tried out.

The junk was very rich in spermaceti--used by the manufacturers of cosmetics and spermaceti candles.

While the whale lay alongside, the neighbouring waters were infested with a multitude of voracious sharks, which, if the cutting in were not done without delay tore the blubber to shreds.

During cutting in the men on the stage made periodical onslaughts on these robbers with their spades, taking a characteristically seamanlike satisfaction in seeing the wounded sharks instantly set upon and devoured by their fellows.

CUTTING IN

The captain with the first and second mate, usually was on the stage, taking an active part in cutting in.

The windlass crew were forward, heaving on the tackle which was suspended from the cap of the lower mainmast.