TRYING OUT. 59 



tlie Llubber, and divide the fat into pieces about six 

 inches wide by eighteen in length, suitable for the 

 mincing-machine. They then, with pikes, pitch it 

 into a tub placed on deck for its reception, w^hence it 

 is carried to the machine, where it is minced into 

 pieces half an inch in thickness, and consigned to 

 the pot. After all the oil is separated from it, the 

 scraps are taken from the pot and the oil poured into 

 a copper cooler, whence it runs into a cool try pot, and 

 thence is bailed into casks, which are rolled on to 

 the quarter-deck, where it is allowed to cool prepara- 

 tory to stowing below in the hold. Meantime the 

 pots are again filled up, and the scraps from the pre- 

 ceding pot are used in heating the works — these 

 scraps forming an excellent and remarkably economi- 

 cal fuel; for if the whale did not furnish material 

 for rendering its own oil, the fuel which would have 

 to be substituted would be a costly item. From the 

 embers, united with fresh water, an excellent lye is 

 made, which is useful in extracting grease from 

 clothes, washing the paint work and so forth. The 

 oil is usually allowed to stand for twenty-four hours 

 before stowing below, and when ready a trap is 

 removed, which is cut through the deck, a tub lashed 

 under it between decks, and a hose with a cock 

 attached ; a cask is now rolled on to this trap, the 

 bung extracted, a vent pipe introduced, and soon the 

 whole produce of the fish is in the hold, never to be 

 removed, except in case of leakage, during the 

 remainder of the voyage. This whale made us ninety 

 barrels of oil. After capturing him, we remained 

 on this ground for several weeks, without farther 

 success in increasing our cargo; in two instances 



