DESCmniON OF A WHALE SHIP, l()5 



of view : it admits of a considerable portion of the 

 boats being carried out below, tlius efFeetually pre- 

 serving them in heavy storms, in which, sometimes, 

 boats lashed upon deck, are subject to be washed 

 away or otherwise destroyed, while, at the same time, 

 the deck is freed from unnecessary lumber and 

 weight. It is likewise of great advantage in the 

 event of a successful fishery, as it admits of a great- 

 er quantity of blabber being taken in at once, be- 

 sides facilitating many of the operations connected 

 with the fishery. This position of the hold beams, 

 though it takes from the capacity of the hold, does 

 not, of course, affect the dimensions of the hull ; 

 and in a ship of 350 tons, it will generally leave 

 such a space in the hold as will admit of th?'ee tiers 

 of casks, of 300 to 350 gallons capacity, and be 

 completely filled by them ; whereas, if tlie dimen- 

 sions of the hold were enlarged by the beams being 

 elevated, it would require fbii?' tiers of convenient 

 sized casks to fill it ; which additional tier, would 

 occasion an amazing increase of labour in the diffe- 

 rent processes connected with the packing of blub- 

 ber in Greenland. 



Hammocks, as receptacles for sailors' beds, being 

 incommodious, the crew are lodged in cabins or 

 births, erected in the half deck : these consist of 

 from twelve to twenty in number, each of wliich is 

 calculated to contain two or three persons. 



When a sliip is on fishing stations, the boats are 

 required to be always ready for use ; as such, they 



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