WHALING SAILORS' YARNS. 163 



" Get your boats ready ; slack down the fires ; 

 and stand by to lower away ! " 



The boats' crews each stand by their own 

 boat, some of the men help to put in the tub of 

 line, others lay down the boat- tackle falls, in 

 such a way that they will run clear. The boat- 

 steerer bends on his harpoons, the gripes are 

 cast clear of the boats, and now comes the word, 

 " Hoist and swing ! " In a moment the boats 

 are hanging by their tackles, and clear of the 

 cranes, ready for the word " Lower away ! "' 

 The mates, in the mean time, were aloft, watch- 

 ing the movements of the whale, in order to 

 judge how to pull for her. 



Now comes the word, " Lower away ! " In a 

 moment all the boats are off, and in chase at a 

 good speed, in order to see who will be up 

 with the whale first. However, at this time, it 

 did not make so much difference which boat 

 pulled the best, as the whale peaked her flukes 

 and went down before any boat came up with 

 her. Now each boat-header uses his own 

 judgment as to where the whale will come up 

 next, for a sperm whale is almost always shifting 



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