WHALE-FISHERY. 217 



The upper surface of fat is again removed, together 

 with the left fin, and after a second kenting, one of 

 the " lips" is taken away, by which the whalebone 

 of one side of the head, now lying nearly horizon- 

 tal, is exposed. The fish being a little further 

 turned, the whalebone of the left side is dislodged 

 by the use of " bone hand-spikes," " bone knives," 

 and " bone spades." These constitute what are 

 called " bone geer," and are used, with the assist- 

 ance of speck tackles, for taking up the whalebone 

 in one mass. On its arrival on deck, it is split with 

 bone wedges into " junks," containing five to ten 

 blades each, and stowed away. A further kenting 

 brings the fish's back upward, and the next exposes 

 the second side of bone. As the fish is turned round, 

 every part of the blubber becomes successively up- 

 permost and is removed. At length, when the 

 whole of the blubber, whalebone, and jaw bones 

 have been taken on board, the kent, which now ap- 

 pears a slip of perhaps 30 feet in length, is also 

 separated, together with the rump rope, and nose 

 tackle, on which, the carcass being at liberty, gene- 

 rally sinks in the water and disappears. 



When sharks are present, they generally help 

 themselves very plentifully, during the progress of 

 the flensing; but they often pay for their temeri- 

 ty with their lives. Fulmars pay close attendance 

 in immense numbers. They seize the fragments 

 occasionally disengaged by the knife, while they 

 are swimming in the water; but most of the oth«r 



y 0T< . m. 28 



