METHODS OF WORK AT WHALING STATIONS 263 



along the body and as near the ground as possible. This virtually separates the blubber 

 into three longitudinal strips, upon one of which the whale is resting. The two free 

 strips are simultaneously peeled off from before backwards by wires from steam winches. 

 By means of flensing knives the workers loosen enough blubber at the head end for 

 the attachment of the wires, and separate it from the flesh as it is pulled away. After 

 the tongue and a mass of filmy connective tissue beneath it have been removed from 

 the lower jaw and thorax, the carcass is rolled over by means of a tackle passed over 

 the shoulder and attached to the lower flipper, and the third strip of blubber is removed 

 in the same way. The blubber is drawn away to a corner of the flensing platform, where 

 it is cut into smaller pieces and put through a machine which slices it into yet smaller 

 strips which are shot into the blubber boilers. A number of steam jets open into the 

 boilers, and these rapidly melt out the oil. 



Next the lower jaw is removed and the carcass is drawn over to another part of the 

 platform so that a fresh whale can be taken up. The baleen plates, which are but lightly 

 attached to the skull, are now removed en bloc. The head is separated from the body 

 at the condyles and drawn up to the " bone platform " which is built immediately above 

 a set of pressure boilers. Here it is cut up by a steam saw and the pieces are dropped 

 into the boilers beneath. 



The carcass is now opened up in the following manner. The whale is lying on its 

 left side and a longitudinal cut is made down the mid-ventral line through the abdominal 

 muscle wall and as far back as the anus. The wire from a winch is attached to the upper 

 flipper and drawn tight enough to put considerable tension on the shoulder. Cuts are 

 now made through the cartilaginous attachment of the ribs on this side to the back- 

 bone and when all these have been disarticulated the whole right shoulder, the right 

 side of the abdominal wall and right side of the thorax come away with all the viscera 

 attached. The shoulders and ribs are taken up to the bone platform, and there are 

 separate boilers near by for the flesh and entrails. The remaining part of the carcass 

 consists simply of the vertebral column with a considerable quantity of flesh. These 

 are easily separated and taken to the appropriate boilers and the actual work of dis- 

 memberment is completed. 



The best oil is obtained from the blubber, and with the least amount of trouble, 

 but the bones provide a grade of oil which is veiy little inferior. From the meat, and 

 especially the "guts", the oil contains a higher proportion of fatty acids and is thus 

 of a poorer quality. The bonemeal and guano, consisting of the dried and powdered 

 remains of the bones and flesh are sold as fertilisers. From the blubber there is hardly 

 any residue left except a small quantity of fibrous material. The baleen is in fact the 

 only part of the whole carcass which is not utilized. 



METHODS OF WORK 



Before an account is given of the routine observations made at the whaling stations 

 and the methods by which conclusions can be drawn, something should be said of the 

 investigations of this kind which have been made by previous workers. 



