\\)4 KKI'OKT Ol'' COMMlSSlOiNKK OF FISU AND FISIIKKIES. 



siiiiiliir m.ilcriiils arc bui'iiod, and soinct imos excii a [)ail t)!" Ilic rich 

 blubber is coMsmiicd as fuel in order lo sua*' tlio reiuaiiidcr. 



Il is well known tiiat the Itoiliiii;- point of oil far cxccods thai of 

 water. ?^o inlense is the heat, at times thai the solder ui)on the inii»le- 

 ments used about the pots is molted. It is important that all watei- 

 should b(> expelled ill order that tlie oil may not become i-ancid Avhen 

 bai-i-elcd. It is e<iually important tliat every precaution slu)uld be 

 taken to i>revent water from i^etting into the pots durinjj: tlic process 

 of boilinji", the action of the oil muler such circumstances deixMidintj: 

 upon the ([uantity ()f the extraneous fluid which is suddenly brought 

 in contact with it. If the pots are not sheltered heavy rain may cause 

 tlu> oil to foam up, and wIumi the vessel shii)s a heavy sea or when a 

 very lieavy rainstorm occurs, tlie conttnits of the pots are apt to throw 

 up an immense cloud of steam and scatter the seetliing oil. Commu- 

 nicating with the lire, the oil is ignited witli a flash, and the streams 

 of burning li(j[ui(l pour out upon the deck, sometimes with disastrous 

 effect. As soon as the contents of the pots show a tendency to l)oil 

 over, pii'ces of fresh blubber are 2)it('hed in, and if this is not sufli- 

 cient the tire is immediatidy banked. 



To prevent the \ agrant pieces of lean which have accompanied the 

 blubber fi'om clinging and burning to the side and bottom of tlie pot 

 and thus darkening the oil, the boiling mass is vigoi-ously stirred. 

 This is one of the most important duties in the process of oil-rendering. 



Instruments are never used on a whale ship for testing the heat or 

 culinary condition of the oil; the men rely nuiinly on their experience 

 as to the best time foi- removing it, judging either by the color of the 

 scrap or by spitting into the boiling mass, this producing a peculiar 

 crepitating noise when the blubber has been sufficiently cooked. 



As fast as the pieces of blubber are resolved into oil, the residuary 

 fragments ai'e transferred to a rough box called the "scrap-hopper" 

 or "strainer-cooler." Its size depends upon the dimensions of the 

 try-works, but usually it holds from 1 to 1.1 pots of scrai). It consists 

 of two compart nu'nts, tlu* upper portion, or hopper, for the scrap and 

 the lower part for the oil, the two separated by a wooden partition 

 containing numerous holes, so that the oil ma\ readily drain fi-om the 

 material. 



The best and most economical way of utili/.ing the sci-a[) has always 

 been an importaid pi-oblem to the whalemen. The body of the sperm 

 whale usually boils out freely, and cons<M[uently the scrap is dry, 

 contains little oil, and is valuable only as fuel. The refuse of the 

 right whale, however, retains considei'able oil, and the whalemen are 

 averse to burning it until after they have extracted the oil by com- 

 pression. The scraj) from both the si)erm and the right whales is 

 regarded as an important fuel su[)ply aiul is economically saved at 

 each fare ^luring the voyage and used for boiling the blubber of whales 

 taken subsequently. 



Although the oil may be thoroughly <'ook<'d when the lirsi scrap 



