76 BOUND FOR PORT. 



the other blubber from arouucl the head and jaw, 

 were rendered out and stowed in casks marked 

 "head;" it being by far the most valuable portion 

 of the whale, and commanding a better price. The 

 head of the sperm whale generally yields about two- 

 fifths of the oil procured from the entire fish. After 

 finishing with the head matter, we proceeded with 

 the residue the same as with the right whale formerly 

 mentioned. On boiling the body blubber, we found 

 it exceedingly poor, and were not at all surprised at 

 the whole yield being only seventy-two barrels — his 

 size auguring at least a hundred. He was seventy- 

 five feet long. 



In appearance, this whale does not bear the 

 slightest resemblance to the right whale — its massive 

 head differing from the latter; neither has it the 

 bonnet, as the right whale, infested by barnacles and 

 vermin ; its body is not so thick ; it is longer, and 

 on the back, near the small, a ridge rises which is 

 known as the hump; the flukes, too, are smaller; 

 and the skin, instead of being black as ebony, is of 

 a slate color, frequently mottled with white — around 

 the head presenting an appearance like marbling; 

 beneath the skin, on the head, is found short, stiff*, 

 hair, and between the hair and skin an alkaline sub- 

 stance which is a solvent for oil — it is used for 

 washing clothing and the paint work. 



After our whale was stowed below and finished 

 with, we remained off' the Leuwiu for a few" weeks, 

 seeing whales but once, and then just at nightfall. 

 So the captain said, one fine morning, that he thought 

 he had waited long enough for the whales, and that 

 now they might wait for him. He ordered the helm 



