THE ORDER CETACEA. 63 



minutes. When he re-appears, he is then fiercely at- 

 tacked with lances, by means of which he becomes 

 wounded in the most vital parts. Blood, freely mixed 

 with oil, streams copiously from his wounds and the 

 blow-holes, dying the sea for a considerable distance 

 round, sprinkling and sometimes copiously drenching 

 the boats and their crews. By this time the animal be- 

 comes more and more exhausted : but oftentimes, at the 

 approach of death, he makes a powerful, convulsive, and 

 energetic struggle, rearing his tail high and aloft in the 

 air, whirling it with a noise which is heard at the dis- 

 tance of several miles. At length, perfectly overpowered 

 and exhausted, he lays himself on his back or his side, 

 and then expires. The flag is then taken down, and 

 three loud huzzas raised by all the boats' crews. No 

 time is lost in piercing the tail with two holes, through 

 which ropes are passed, which, being fastened to the 

 boats, tow the animal to the vessel, amidst shouts of 

 merriment and joy. 



As soon as the whale is caught and secured to the 

 sides of the ship, another important operation is per- 

 formed, which is that of flensing, or extracting the blub- 

 ber and whalebone. Now, if the strength of the crew is 

 put into requisition, this can be performed in about four 

 hours, although a much longer time is frequently occu- 

 pied. Previous to their commencing, the captain or 

 surgeon stands at the companion-door, and calls every 

 seaman to him, giving each a dram of rum, with a double 

 allowance to the important personages denominated the 

 kings of the blubber, whose office it is to receive that 

 precious commodity and stow it carefully in the hold. 

 Another great officer is called the speck sioneer, and to 

 him is confided the direction and management of all the 

 cutting operations. The first step is to form round the 



