248 3IARINE MAMMALS OF THE NORTH-WESTERN COAST. 
officers and crew — all being paid a certain share, or "lay," which corresponds to 
the position or individual services rendered by each member. A "whaling com- 
pany," as it is termed, consists of one captain, one mate, a cooper, two boat- 
steerers, and eleven men ; from these, two whale-boats are provided with crews 
of six men each, leaving four hands on shore, who take their turn at the lookout 
station, to watch for whales, and attend to boiling out the blubber when a whale 
is caught. The stock of the company consists of boats, whaling implements, and 
whaling-gear, which is divided into sixteen equal shares, and the "lay" of each 
member is the same. The captain and mate, however, are paid a bonus of two or 
three hundred dollars for the term of engagement, which is one year, and they 
are also exempt from all expenses of the company. 
The whaling year begins on the first of April, this being about the time that 
the California Gray Whales have all passed toward the Arctic Ocean, and the 
Humpback Whales begin their northern passage. The cruising limits of the local 
whalers extend from near the shore -line to ten miles at sea. At dawn of day, 
the boats may be seen, careening under a press of sail, or propelled over the 
undulating ground -swell by the long, measured strokes of oars, until they reach 
the usual whaling -ground, where the ckiy is passed plying to and fro, unless the 
objects of pursuit are met with. Each boat is furnished with Greener's 
harpoon -gun, mounted at the bow, besides the bomb -gun in general use, which 
imparts to them more of a military appearance than the usual aspect of a whaling- 
craft. Generally, whales are first seen from the boats ; but occasionally they are 
discovered b} 7 the man on watch at the station, who signals to the boats by means 
of a flag elevated upon a pole, with which he runs toward the quarter where the 
whales are seen; or a series of signals are made from a tall flag -staff. 
The cetaceous animals frequenting the coast, having been so long and con- 
stantly pursued, are exceedingly wild and difficult to approach ; and were it not 
for the utility of Greener's gun, the coast fishery would be abandoned, it being 
now next to impossible to "strike" with the hand -harpoon. At the present time, 
if the whale can be approached within thirty yards, it is considered to be in reach 
of the gun -harpoon. When the gunner fires, if he hits his game, the next effort 
made is to haul up near enough to shoot a bomb -lance into a vital part, which, 
if it explodes, completes the capture ; but, if the first bomb fails, the second or 
third one does the fatal work. The prize is then towed to the station ; and if it 
be night, it is secured to one of the buoys placed for the purpose, a little way 
from the surf, where it remains until daylight, or until such time as it is wanted, to 
be stripped of its blubber. The whales generally taken by the shore parties are 
