WHALING IN SHETLAND 75 



steamers had to go further south to find whales, and it 

 occurred to Captain Castberg of Sandefjord that Shetland 

 would be a good place for a whaling station. He formed 

 the Hvalfangeraktieselskabet Norrna, and erected a station 

 at the extreme end of Ronas Voe, Northmaven, in 1903 ; 

 while directly opposite to this the " Shetland Company " 

 formed another station the same year. The requirements 

 necessary for a whaling station being level land, plenty of 

 fresh water, and a good natural harbour. 



The cost of forming a station may be taken at about 

 ^8,000. The steamers will cost .4,200, lines and har- 

 poons ^"500, the factory and dwelling house .2,500, labour 

 and coal ^800. 



The steamer is a fast little vessel, able to steam 1 2 

 knots, and to turn in her own length, which is about 95 feet. 

 There is only a foremast, on which is a i( crow's nest " of 

 canvas for the look-out man. In the bows is a heavy 

 swivel gun with back and fore sights, very strongly made. 

 The charge is about half-a-pound of powder. The harpoon 

 is about four-and-a-half feet long, with a diamond-shaped 

 head in which the flukes are hinged. These are brought back 

 and lashed to the stock, and below them is a shell, which 

 explodes on striking the whale, when the flukes fly out. 

 The after part of the stock is divided in two for nearly the 

 whole length, to allow an iron ring to run, to this ring is 

 fastened the line of strong manilla, about two inches in 

 diameter. When the harpoon is put in the barrel of the 

 gun the ring is just clear of the muzzle. The weight of the 

 harpoon is considerable, and whales are not fired at over 

 fifty yards away. 



The factory has about six boilers, some I 2 feet in height, 

 a revolving knife for cutting blubber, a settling vat. Below 

 the factory is a wooden slip going down into the sea up 

 which the carcases of the whales are drawn to be cut up. 

 This is done by flensing knives, with keen blades fitted on 

 long handles. The whale is drawn up by a steam winch 

 towards the factory, an incision is made close to the head, 

 a wire cable with a hook at the end is fixed in the 

 " blanket " of blubber which is drawn up, the flenser follow- 

 ing with his knife to see that no blubber is left on the flesh. 



