520 MODERN SEA FISHING 



on many a fine vessel engaged in this fishing is, ' crushed by the 

 ice.' In these days ships are all provided with steam, but at 

 the same time they carry plenty of sail power, as on the fishing 

 grounds, or if fish appear, the screw is immediately stopped. 



All whalers assert that the black fish, as the Scotch fishermen 

 term the Greenland whale, is an extremely timid animal, and any 

 noise will alarm her ; indeed, a harpooneer declared to me that 

 once when approaching a fish he saw her apparently listen and 

 then tremble as if she were aware danger was near. Formerly 

 the blubber was put into barrels, but now the ships are fitted 

 with tanks in which coal is stowed on the outward voyage. 



Each ship usually carries from seven to eight whaleboats, 

 from 26 to 30 feet long, about 5 ft. 9 in. beam over all, and 

 depth amidships from 28 to 30 inches. These boats have very 

 little keel, and curve slightly up to the stem and stern-post, 

 which, as they rise from the keel, slope outwards. The object 

 of this peculiar build is that the boat may turn quickly to the 

 motions of the whale, and enable the boat-steerer with his long 

 oar to sweep clear of the fish when fastened. On the bows two 

 sheets of copper or zinc are nailed to protect the wood from 

 the ice. In the stem-head is cut a score or notch about three 

 and a half inches deep, by about two and a half inches wide (in 

 fact, sufficiently wide to allow the line, be it two and a half or 

 three-inch stuff, to run freely). From the stem-head a small 

 salvage deck is carried aft for about three feet, and through this 

 two bollard heads (pronounced ' bullet heads ' by the Scotch 

 whalers) project. 



A bollard head is a piece of round upright lignum vitse, 

 or other suitable hardwood, from about three inches to, at 

 the outside, five and a half inches diameter. In the foremost 

 bollard head a hole ' is bored to take the crutch on which the 



1 Round the top of the gun bollard head is placed a light iron strop or 

 ring to prevent the wood from splitting when the hole is bored. This ring is 



