AQUATIC PEODUCTS IN AETS AND INDUSTEIES. 197 



particularly the cows, including- both the white-horse and the fat, may 

 be cut into horse-pieces, minced, and boiled out together. The process 

 of mincing the pieces of junk and pitching them into the tr^'-pots is 

 identical with that previously described in connection with tlie body 

 blubber. While some of tlie men are cutting out the white-horse and 

 preparing the junk for the pots, others are scraping up the oil, which 

 flows out prof use ly during the operations. 



The hump and ridge of the sperm whale are cut into horse-pieces 

 and boiled out with the head and with the fat secured from the jaws. 



The term "twitter," which has been previously referred to as api^lied 

 to the thread-like or membranous substance ranging through the con- 

 tents of the case, is also applied to the lining; of that reservoir. This 

 is from 2 to 3 inches thick, glutinous, and extremely tough. In decap- 

 itating the sperm whale, especially in severing near the bunch of 

 the neck, a very sharp spade is required to cut through this tougj. 

 and elastic foi-mation. Although it is very difficult to manipulate, an 

 economical whaleman never throws this substance away. Since it 

 can not be boiled out with the case, for the reason above given, it is 

 saved and run through the pots with the fat-lean after the case and 

 junk have been cooked. 



There are two kinds of "lean," the "clear-lean" and the " fat-lean." 

 Tlie clear-lean, as the term signifies, is composed almost entirely of 

 muscles, and is rejected as utterly worthless to the uses of whalemen. 

 The fat-lean is composed of fat and lean so intermixed that sepa- 

 ration by means of knives is impracticable. It is obtained prin- 

 cipally about the jaw, as well as from other external parts of the 

 whale. A large portion of it is cut from the blanket pieces during 

 the process of leaning. When whales were abundant, the fat-lean 

 was thrown away, but at present many, if not all, of the whale- 

 men convert it into oil after the oil from the head and body blubber 

 has been boiled out and bailed off. The fires are then drawn, the 

 trj^- works cooled down, and the fat-lean is pitched in. This is a deli- 

 cate operation, and if not performed in the proper manner there is 

 danger of cracking the pots. Water is usually placed in the pots 

 first and the fat-lean is pitched in until the pots are about two-thirds 

 full, and then the twitter and lipperings are added. The fires are 

 started, the admixture brought to the boiling point, and the works 

 are again cooled down. When cold the oil floats upon the surface, 

 and the water and cracklings remain at the bottom. If the process 

 has been skillfully conducted, the oil may be almost as light and 

 clear as any obtained from the better and purer parts of the whale. 

 As a rule not more than two pots of this substance are boiled down, 

 for the oil obtained from it is generally more or less sour — a result 

 probabl}^ from either mixing it with water when boiling, or because it 

 had become tainted through decomposition, or it may be due perhaps 

 to both causes. This oil is usually barreled separately. 



The oil obtained from the fat-lean of one whale is sometimes mixed 



