1 66 THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN 



curred, it was imperative to locate and reach this refuge at the 

 earliest possible moment. In other instances it was essential 

 to repair damages sustained by the boat, to care for injuries in- 

 curred by its occupants, or to allow time in which to recover 

 from the violence and consuming fatigue of the pursuit. 



But if the chances for a second capture seemed favorable, 

 the mate might safely leave the marked carcass for the time 

 being 5 for the unwritten laws relating to the ownership of 

 floating whales were strictly observed throughout the industry. 

 Thus a carcass containing the "waif" of a vessel believed to be 

 in the general vicinity was never disturbed by another whaler. 

 In case a wounded whale escaped, but subsequently died and 

 was found by some other ship, the harpoons or lances ("whal- 

 ing craft") found in the body were taken to establish a defini- 

 tive claim to the oil and bone. The universal rule was: 

 "Craft claims the whale." As a result all lances and harpoons 

 were carefully marked with the name or initials of the vessel 

 to which they belonged. But if the whaleship possessing the 

 rightful claim did not appear within a reasonable length of 

 time, the finder might proceed to "cut-in." In case the owner 

 put in an appearance while the cutting-in process was going 

 on, he was entitled to all the blubber still in the water j but 

 the vessel which had been working on the carcass was allowed 

 to retain everything actually on board. The same rule held 

 true if no evidence of ownership was discovered until after 

 the cutting-in operations had begun. 



With one or more whales killed and marked, the next task 

 was to bridge the space intervening between the huge, un- 

 wieldy mass of flesh and blubber and the vessel. This might 

 prove either exceedingly laborious or very easy. If the whaler 

 chanced to be to windward of the carcass, it would beat down 

 upon it, leaving little for the occupants of the boat to do ex- 

 cept to rest quietly beside their prize. But if fortune had 

 placed the larger craft to leeward, or if a calm prevailed, the 

 boat's crew was forced to tow the tons of dead weight for the 

 full distance. To men already tired out by the exertions of 

 the chase, this long, heavy tugging at the oars, often requiring 

 several hours, was the most gruelling of tasks. 



Even after reaching the end of the weary pull it was neces- 



