AQUATIC PRODUCTS IN ARTS AND INDITSTRIES. 195 



is removed, it is not builecl oil", llu^ usual plan Ix'inu to lill the i)ot 

 with fresh blubber und again boil it down until tlu^ pot is full. In 

 this manner the hot oil melts the cold blub])er and tlie latter reduces 

 the temperature of the oil already rendered. 



The bones of cetacea contain more or less oil, ])ut they are utilized 

 in oil-rendering- only when whales are scarce. On a good vo^^age the 

 endoskeletons are thi'own overboard as fast as the coating of fat is 

 removed, provided they are not required for fuel. 



The blubber of the "small" and the lobes of the flukes are cut into 

 horse-pieces and boiled out with the bod}' blubber, being of the same 

 nature. The entrail fat of the humpback whale may be boiled by 

 itself or with tlie blubber, whichever is more convenient, the oil of the 

 fat and that of the blubber being of the same grade. The fins of the 

 sperm whale are cut up with spades; the fatty covering is boiled with 

 the bod}' blubber, and the bones with the fat-lean. The oleaginous 

 covering of the fins of the right whale is cut into horse-pieces and 

 boiled with the body blubber; the fin bones of this species are rejected. 

 The liead skin, or the fatty covering of the crown of both the right and 

 bowhead whales, and, indeed, the "headgear" of both, are cut into 

 liorse-pieces and run through the pots with the body blubber. 



The tongue of the bowhead as well as of right whales is also reduced 

 to horse-pieces and boiled out. The tongue blubber is close-grained, 

 or of much finer texture than that of the ordinary blubber, and is usu- 

 ally boiled out last. When "green" its oil is extracted with great 

 difiiculty, if, indeed, this can be accomplished at all when cooked by 

 itself, unless very finelj^ minced; hence it is sometimes laid aside and 

 run through the pots in easy stages with the body blubber of the next 

 cut. A muscular, fibrous substance known as "plum pudding" per- 

 meates the blubber of the tongues of these two species of whales, 

 extending longitudinally through the central part and in greater 

 abundance near the roots, Most of it is utterly worthless and is 

 thrown overboard when detached from the fat of the tongue. At 

 times, however, when the fat predominates, the "plum pudding" is 

 saved and boiled out with the tongue or the refuse of the whale. It is 

 almost imi)ossible to render it when cooked alone. 



The "ginger rolls," or i:)laited folds on the throat and breast of the 

 humi)back, are cut into horse-pieces and rendered with the bod}^ blub- 

 ber; but the intermediate substance, resembling "white-horse" in 

 some respects, is extremely tough and elastic, and is absolutely worth- 

 less as an oil-yielding substance. 



In trying out a sperm whale, either the body blubber ov the head 

 matter, including the junk and case, maj^ be boiled out first; but they 

 are never cooked together, since it is not policy to mix the oils, the head 

 oil being worth a cent or two per gallon more than the body oil. The 

 manner of preparing the case and junk for the pots being different, 

 they will be described separately'. 



If the body blubber is tried out first, the head matter is deposited 



