224 MARINE MAMMALS OF THE NORTH-WESTERN COAST. 
six feet wide. It is sharp at both ends, with flaring sides, and is of a model that 
insures great swiftness, as well as the qualities of an excellent sea -boat. At the 
bow (or "head," as whalers usually term it) is a groove, in which is placed a 
metal sheave, over which the line runs ; near the end and upper edges of the 
groove, a slender pin, of tough wood or whalebone, passes across through holes 
above the line, to prevent it from flying out when running. This groove is called 
the "chocks." About three feet from the stern is the "clumsy -elect," a stout 
thwart with a rounded notch on the after side, in which the officer or boat-steerer 
braces himself by one leg against the violent motion of the boat, caused by a 
rough sea, or the efforts of the whale while being "worked upon." The space 
between the clumsy -cleet and the chocks is covered with a sort of deck, six inches 
below the gunwales, and is called the "box," or "box of the boat." Five thwarts, 
or seats, for the accommodation of the rowers, are placed at proper distances apart, 
between the clumsy -cleet and stern sheets; and opposite each rowlock, near the 
bottom of the boat, is a well -fastened cleet, to receive the end or handle of the 
oar, which is called a "peak-cleet ;" and when fast to a whale, or when the crew 
are resting, the end of the oar is placed in the hole of this cleet, while the 
heavy portion still rests in the rowlock, thereby elevating the blade far above the 
water. About four feet of the stern is decked over, through the forward part of 
which, a little to one side, is placed the loggerhead, shaped like a post with a 
large head, which projects six or eight inches above the gunwales, and by this log- 
gerhead the line is controlled when the boat is fast to the object of pursuit. The 
equipment belonging to a modern whale-boat consists of one mast and yard, or 
sprit, one to three sails (but usually a jib and mainsail), five pulling-oars, one 
steering- oar, five paddles, five rowlocks, five harpoons, one or two line -tubs (into 
which the line is coiled), three hand-lances, three short-warps, one boat-spade, 
three lance -warps, one boat -warp, one boat -hatchet, two boat -knives, one boat -waif, 
one boat - compass, one boat-hook, one drag, one grapnel, one boat- anchor,* one 
sweeping -line, lead, buoy, etc., one boat -keg, one boat -bucket, one piggin, one 
kntern-keg (containing flint, steel, box of tinder, lantern, candles, bread, tobacco, 
and pipes), one boat-crotch, one tub-oar crotch, half a dozen chock -pins, a roll 
* The full equipment as here enumerated, is the bays or lagoons, the anchor is indispensable, 
modified to suit the particular branch of whaling and the grapnel, sweeping -line, lead, and buoy, 
pursued, as for instance, in deep-sea whaling are of much service. But many other articles 
there is no use for the anchor, and in sperm are left out or supplied to a limited extent, so 
whaling the sweeping -line, buoy, etc., are not that the boat may be as light as possible, and 
required ; while in California Gray whaling in work easily and quickly in shallow water. 
