3384 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
WHALING APPARATUS. 
The rocket-gun: 
A stockless gun with a barrel of such shape and proportion as to balance on the 
shoulder of the gunner; designed to throw large rockets and shells; barrel, sheet- 
copper, cylindrical; two rods project behind the barrel and fastened to an iron plate; 
barrel encircled with two wide transverse flanges, the lower one fixed, and the 
upper one hinged in such a manner that when the gunner is taking aim it lies par- 
allel to the barrel, but is thrown up vertically by the action of the rocket to protect 
the gunner from the “backfire”? of the rocket. The gun is discharged by firing the 
pistol through a hole made in the stock into the rocket. 
Brand gun, No. 2: 
Barrel, cast-steel; front part of barrel round. Ramrod, hickory. Skeleton stock, 
iron. Guard- plate, steel. Rigid eye for laniard. Patent breech. Stock and barrel 
‘‘browned.’”? Length, 36 inches. Weight, 19} pounds. 
Darting-gun: 
Pierce’s darting-gun, old style, with pole, harpoon, and darting-bomb; muzzle- 
loading. Gun: Barrel, lock-case, socket for pole, socket-pieces or lugs for ‘harpoon, 
and one forward euide for trigger, gun-metal; two after guides for trigger, brass; 
bottom of lock-case, brass, soldered; firing pin and trunnion, brass; lock-case (cover 
for excluding moisture), leather with brass catch. Hammer concealed in lock-case, 
gun-metal. Trigger projecting beyond muzzle, steel rod. Harpoon, common toggle- 
iron; rear end made to fit socket-pieces on the muzzle of the gun and provided with 
a projecting eye, in which the iron strap is made fast. Toggle branded ‘‘ Macy ”’ 
(manufacturer). Length of gun, 193 inches; length of pole, 56; inches; length of 
trigger, 34 inches; length of harpoon, 30 inches; length of darting-bomb, 153 inches. 
The California gun-harpoon: 
Head, common toggle, mortised, with flaring rear barb; shank, double; wire loop, 
served with twine; gun-strap, whale-line. Length, 50. inches; length of toggle, 93 
inches. 
Allen’s gun-harpoon: 
Four fixed barbs; shank in two sections; forward part wrought-iron, terminating 
in a socket, into which is fitted the rear part; provided with a fixed iron collar to be 
used asa ‘‘stop’’ for the iron strap. Rear portion of shank, wood with iron ferule. 
Length, 46} inches. 
Swivel-gun harpoon: 
Head, wrought iron, double-barbed; shank, malleable iron, cast; double or slotted; 
loop with two eyes, wire, wrapped with wire; iron thimble attached, with rope for 
making fast the whale line. Marked ‘‘S. Lydia.’? Length, 48 inches. 
Pierce's darting-gun harpoon: 
Head, common toggle, recessed, pivoted to end of shank; shank composed of two 
conjoined pieces of iron; forward end, rod-iron; rear portion, piping screwed into 
end of forward part; iron link, twisted, attached ‘to middle of shank for iron- strap, 
whale line; button, felt; point of toggle, fractured. Length, 243 inches. 
Explosive gun-lance: 
A kind of explosive lance, the record of which very little is known. Consists of 
two conjoined parts; the forward half or magazine malleable iron, cast with the head, 
which has four cutting edges; the rear section, or fuse-shaft, cast-iron, fluted on 
three sides for the ropes (which are placed in the gun with the lance) and attached 
to the bomb with a screw-joint. The rear extremity of the fluted elevations are 
perforated with three holes through which the strands of the rope are rove and 
braided. Time-fuseinclosed in fluted tubular shank. Corkshoe, orbutton. Length, 
33 inches. 
Rifled whaling-gun: 
Barrel, cast-steel, nine grooves; stock, walnut; rigid eye for lanyard. Length, 38 
inches. Weight, 18 pounds. 
Whaleman’s swivel-gun: 
Barrel, stub-twist; stock, Saint Domingo mahogany; guide for taking aim, brass, 
extending along and screwed to barrel; elevated at rear end. Barrel fastened to 
stock by bolts and lugs. Breech-plug chambered and screwed into the barrel. Two 
nipples. Flash-pan, “brass, hinged to rear of elevated sight; barrel stamped ‘*W. 
Greener, maker, Birmingham, 1853.” Length, 51 inches. Ww eight, 56 pounds. 
