LIFE ON A SOUTH SEA WHALER. 831 



be relieved from further duties until we were a little recovered from 

 the rough treatment we had just undergone. But I never made a 

 greater mistake. The skipper cursed us all (except the mate, whose 

 sole fault the accident undoubtedly was) with a fluency and vigor 

 that was, to put it mildly, discouraging. 



A couple of slings were passed around the boat, by means of which 

 she was carefully hoisted on board, a mere dilapidated bundle of sticks 

 and raffle of gear. She was at once removed aft out of the way, the busi- 

 ness of cutting in the whale claiming precedence over everything else 

 just then. The preliminary proceedings consisted of rigging the " cut- 

 ting stage." This was composed of two stout planks a foot wide and ten 

 feet long, the inner ends of which were suspended by strong ropes over 

 the ship's side about four feet from the water, while the outer ex- 

 tremities were upheld by tackles from the main rigging, and a small 

 crane abreast the try-works. 



These planks were about thirty feet apart, their two outer ends 

 being connected by a massive plank which was securely bolted to 

 them. A handrail about as high as a man's waist, supported by light 

 iron stanchions, ran the full length of this plank on the side nearest 

 the ship, the whole fabric forming an admirable standing place 

 whence the officers might, standing in comparative comfort, cut and 

 carve at the great mass below to their hearts' content. 



So far the prize had been simply held alongside by the whale line, 

 which at death had been " rove " through a hole cut in the solid gristle 

 of the tail; but now it became necessary to secure the carcass to the 

 ship in some more permanent fashion. Therefore, a massive chain 

 like a small ship's cable was brought forward, and in a very ingenious 

 way, by means of a tiny buoy and a hand lead, passed round the body, 

 one end brought through a ring in the other, and hauled upon until 

 it fitted tight round the " small " or part of the whale next the broad 

 spread of the tail. The free end of the fluke chain was then passed 

 in through a mooring pipe forward, firmly secured to a massive bitt 

 at the heel of the bowsprit (the fluke-chain bitt), and all was ready. 



The first thing to be done was to cut the whale's head off. This 

 operation, involving the greatest amount of labor in the whole of the 

 cutting in, was taken in hand by the first and second mates, who, 

 armed with twelve-foot spades, took their station upon the stage, 

 leaned over the handrail to steady themselves, and plunged their 

 weapons vigorously down through the massive neck of the animal — if 

 neck it could be said to have — following a well-defined crease in the 

 blubber. At the same time the other officers passed a heavy chain 

 sling around the long, narrow lower jaw, hooking one of the big cut- 

 ting tackles into it, the " fall " of which was then taken to the wind- 

 lass and hove tight, turning the whale on her back. A deep cut was 



