200 MARINE MAMMALS OF THE NORTH-WESTERN COAST. 
they try it up into train -oyl. "When the fat is cut off from one side of the whale, 
before they turn him they cut out the whalebone in one entire piece ; and this is 
so heavy that all the ship's crew hath enough to do to pull it up. They make 
use, for that purpose, of a peculiar sort of hooks, two whereof they fix on the 
sides, and one on the middle of it, very well provided with strong tackle, and 
afterwards they cut out the whalebone of the other side of the fish, and draw it 
up also with pulleys into the ship, where it is cut into such pieces as they bring 
it hither in. The whalebone doth only belong to the owners of the ship, and the 
others that run their hazard, whether they catch few or many whales. The rest, 
which take their pay by the month, receive their money when they come home, 
whether they have caught many or none, and the loss or gain falls upon the 
merchants. The hooks that they crane up the whalebone withal, are made on 
purpose for it, like a beam of a pair of scales ; on each end are two sharp points, 
which they knock in between the whalebone ; in the middle of the beam is 
fastened a long handle with a ring, whereon the ropes are fastened ; on this handle 
there are fixed two other crooked hooks like bird's claws ; in the ring where the 
ropes are fastened is another crooked hook, at the top fastened by a ring, such a 
one as we make use of here when we wind anything up by a crane ; but in the 
middle between these two hooks is fastened another rope, which keeps the lower- 
most hook steddy ; the two hindmost points are knocked into the whalebone 
behind, and the two foremost short ones before, which hold the whalebone fast 
between them when it is wound or pulled up. 
"The dead whales, when the fat is cut off of them, they let float, and are the 
food of the birds of prey when they are hungry ; but they had rather have dead 
whales that have still their fat left on them. The white bear is generally not far 
off, whether there be any fat left on them or no, and look like dogs that only 
feed upon carrion, and at that time their white fur is turned into a yellow colour, 
and at the same time they shed their hair, and their skins are worth very little. 
Where a dead whale is near, we see it by the birds, whereof are many, and also 
the white bears discover it, chiefly in the spring, when but few whales are caught, 
for then they are greedy of their prey ; afterwards, when many whales float on the 
sea, they have their bellies full, and we do not find so many by a whale, because 
they are dispersed. 
"Formerly the Dutch did try out their train- oyl in Spitzbergen, at Smeeren- 
berg, and about the Cookery of Harlingen, where still, for a remembrance, all sorts 
of tools belonging thereunto are to be seen, whereof I have made mention before. 
The Frenchmen try up their train -oyl in their ships, and by that means many 
