Whaling as a Business Enterprise 331 



be without exaggeration because this magazine 

 was the organ of all merchant-ship owners of that 

 day (September, 1849): 



"All hands are huddled on board without a chance 

 of looking at their chests, for the contents of which they 

 have given a receipt which is to be deducted from their 

 share or 'lay.' Each sailor is charged upon the owner's 

 books with an average outfit of seventy dollars. By 

 many owners interest is charged on this outfit from the 

 day of sailing until the return of the vessel. When the 

 sailor opens his chest he feels as we may suppose the 

 man did who 'fell among thieves.' He finds that 

 the contents of the chest are insufficient for his comfort, 

 and that they are not worth twenty-five dollars in all. 

 To compensate for this want of comfortable clothing, 

 he may procure supplies from the owner's slop chest, 

 which has been placed on board, by paying a hand- 

 some profit [100 to 200 per cent]. 



"The lay or share of a green hand is from a one 

 hundred and eightieth to a two hundredth; that is, one 

 barrel of oil out of every one hundred and eighty or two 

 hundred that are taken. But from this, ten per cent is 

 to be deducted for leakage, and frequently three per 

 cent for insurance, although, if the vessel is lost, and is 

 fully covered by insurance, the owners recover all and 

 the men get nothing, because the charge is not made 

 upon the men until the vessel gets home. The owner 



