250 The Story of the New England Whalers 



While one of the mates trained the "green- 

 horns," the men who could do a sailor's work 

 rigged the crows' nests, little platforms on 

 which a man could stand high up above the sails 

 on each mast. Seats were fitted on some of these 

 platforms, and all were provided with stout hoops 

 within which the lookout could stand safely. 

 On each mast two men were usually kept through- 

 out each day, on the lookout for whales, and their 

 eyesight was sharpened by an offer of ten pounds 

 of tobacco, sometimes five dollars, as a reward 

 to the one who first announced a whale that the 

 crew succeeded in saving. 



The boats were also prepared for service. In 

 each were placed three or four harpoons, two 

 lances, a boat spade, a short-handled axe or two, 

 and a stout knife or two. The harpoon lines were 

 carefully coiled into the tubs which were put into 

 the boats. The oars and the mast and sails were 

 laid in ready for instant use and then a keg of 

 water and one of bread, a lantern with candles, 

 a bucket for dipping, a dipper for the same pur- 

 pose, and a small flag for signalling were added. 

 In modern boats, at least one gun is carried with 

 sufficient ammunition. 



