124 WHALING AND FISHING. 



or jaw j as it is called, the balance being the head 

 proper a long, slender bone, is severed and hoisted 

 in. In this are contained the teeth, which are 

 valued as ivory, and worked into various fanoj 

 articles luring subsequent leisure hours. A 

 sperm-whale's teeth are placed in such a manner 

 as to hook back, and are moveable in their sockets. 

 Now comes the head, the most important part 

 of the whale, as it is a nearly solid mass of blub- 

 ber and spermacetti. Where the whale is large, 

 this is now again subdivided, the entire mass 

 being far too heavy to hoist in at once. It was 

 judged that our whale would make about sixty 

 barrels. This is above the average, and the case, 

 that part of the head which contains the pure 

 spermacetti, was therefore separated from the rest, 

 and hoisted in first. This safely landed, the head 

 \vas swayed, and on reaching the deck, was 

 shoved aft, on the quarter deck. It barely fitted 

 under the beams which supported the spare boats, 

 and formed a cube of nearly nine feet. How much 

 it weighed, I would not attempt to guess. The 

 case, which was placed against it tackles being 

 required to slide it along the well-greased decks 

 was nearly as large. 



The cutting-in now recommenced. As cne 

 tackle reached the masthead, another was brought 

 down and hooked, or rather, toggled in at the gang- 

 way. The upper piece was then -jut loose, and 

 lowered down into the blubber -room, where it 

 lay, with the blackskin down. 



