[75] FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



BLUBBER FORKS. 

 Mincing and Trying-out. 



hoese-piece fork. 



A small pitch fork, all iron, with two tines. Handle parceled. 

 Kare. Usually has wooden poles. Length, 4 feet 9^ inches. 

 Provincetown, Massachusetts, 1882. 57703. U. S. Fish Com- 

 mission. Used in the blubber-room and on deck for handling 

 horse-pieces when mincing and trying-out. 



Horse-piece fork. 



Small iron fork with two tines and wooden pole. Length, 4 feet & 

 inches. New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1882. 57702. Jonathan 

 Bourne. Used for transferring horse-pieces from the blubber- 

 tub to the mincing-tub, and for pitching horse-pieces from the 

 blubber-room on deck. 



Blubber-fork. 



Small iron fork with two tines, short shank and wooden handle, 

 formerly used for pitching horse-pieces into the try-pots, but 

 superseded by a similar instrument (25950) with longer prongs. 

 Length, 8 feet 9 inches. New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1882. 

 55818. Gift of Mackey & Pindar. 



Blubber-fork. 



Small iron fork with two tines, socket, and pole. Used at present 

 for pitching blubber into the try-pots. Length, 5 feet 7 inches. 

 New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1876. 25950. Gift of E. B. & 

 r. Macy. 



BLUBBER-GAFFS. ^ 



Lowering Blubber in Main Hatch and Hauling Blubber 



ABOUT Deck. 

 Blubber-gaff. 



Common iron gaff with a spur at rear end for attaching the instru- 

 ment to a common pole, and held fast by a metal band. Lengthy 

 with pole, 4 feet 10 inches. New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1876. 

 57699. U. S. Fish Commission. Used when cutting-in a whale 

 for " pointing " the blanket-pieces over the main hatch when- 

 lowering them into the blubber-room. 



Blubber-gaff. 



Common iron gaff attached to a rough pole. Obtained from a 

 whaling and sealing vessel, and used when lowering the blanket- 

 pieces down the main hatch. Length, 42 inches. New London,. 

 Connecticut, 1882. 57706. Gift of C. A. Williams & Co. 



