CAPTURING THE WHALE. 107 



animal is, section by section, brought to the surface. 

 The harpooners then, having spikes on their feet to 

 prevent their falling from the carcass, begin with 

 a kind of spade, and with huge knives, to make 



long parallel cuts from end to end, which are divided 

 by cross-cuts into pieces of about half a ton. These 

 are conveyed on deck, and, being reduced into 

 smaller portions, are stowed in the hold. Finally, 

 being by other operations still further divided, it is 

 put into casks, which is called making-off, and 

 packed down completely by a suitable instrument. 



When this flensing is proceeding, and when it 

 reaches the lips, which contain much oil, the baleen 

 is exposed. This is detached by means of bone hand- 

 spikes, bone knives, and bone spades. The whole 

 whalebone is hoisted on deck in one mass, where 

 it is split by bone-wedges into junks, containing 

 five or ten blades each, and stowed away. When 

 the whole whalebone and blubber are thus pro- 

 cured, the two jaw-bones, from the quantity of oil 

 which they contain, are usually hoisted on deck, 

 and then only the kreng remains, — the huge car- 

 cass of flesh and bone, which is abandoned either 

 to sink, or to be devoured by the birds and sharks, 

 and bears, which duly attend on such occasions for 

 their share of the prey. 



It will be readily believed that none of the pro- 



