198 31ARINE MAMMALS OF THE NORTH-WESTERN COAST. 
the ship, except the vessels are very small. By the larboard is to be understood 
that side of the ship that is at your right hand as you go from before towards the 
stern ; but that side of the ship that is on your right hand as you go from the 
stern towards the fore -part is called star -board, because you go from the steer 
forward. 
"Whoever of the ships' crews sees a dead whale, cries out Fish mine, and there- 
fore the merchants must pay him a ducat, for his care and vigilance. Many of 
them climb often up into the mast, in hopes to have a ducat, but in vain. When 
the dead whale is thus fastened to the ship, two sloops hold on the other side 
of the fish or whale, and in each of them doth stand a man or boy, that has a 
long hook in his hands, wherewith he doth hold the boat to the ship, and the 
harpoonier stands before in the sloop, or upon the whale, with a leathern suit on, 
and sometimes they have boots on. Underneath the hook are some sharp nails 
fixed, that they may be able to stand firm, for the whale is very slippery, so that 
one may easily fall, as upon slippery ice. These two men that cut the fat off have 
their peculiar wages for it, viz: about four or five rix- dollars. First, they cut a 
large piece from behind the head, by the eyes, which they call the Kenter -piece, 
that is as much as to say the winding - piece ; for as they cut all the other fat all 
in rows, from the whale towards the end, so they cut this great kenter -piece larger 
and wider than all the rest. This piece, when it is cut round about from the 
whale, reaches from the water to the cradle, (that is the round circle that goeth 
round about the middle of the mast, and is made in the shape of a basket), from 
whence you may guess at the bigness of a whale. A strong and thick rope is fixed 
to this kenter -piece, and the other end is fixed underneath the cradle, whereby the 
whale is as it was born up out of the water, that they may come at it, and by 
reason of the great weight of the whale, the ship leans towards that side. One 
may judge how tough the fat is, for in this piece an hole is made, through which 
the rope is fastened, yet not deep into the fat, wherewith they turn the fish at 
pleasure. Then, as is before said, they cut another piece down hard by this, that 
is also hauled up to the ship ; and then in the ship they cut it into less pieces 
about a foot square. These two men have in their hands, as well as those that 
stand on the whale, long knives, wherewith they cut these square pieces. These 
knives are, with their hafts, about the length of a man ; and the more the fat of 
the whale is loosened, just as the hide is flea'd from an ox, the higher must they 
pull up the fat with their pulleys, that they may cut it the easier. And when 
they have drawn up this fat, the men take it to them into the ship, and loosen 
the rope that it was fastened unto. The rope is fastened with a ring whereinto they 
