WHALING 



525 



the points of the lances and hand harpoons. On the port side 

 there is a similar locker. 



The full equipment of the largest size boats will be : 



One harpooneer, who pulls 

 bow oar and is in charge of the 

 boat. 



One boat-steerer. 



One line manager, who pulls 

 stroke. 



Three seamen. 



One gun bollard head fixed 

 firm in the bow. 



One line bollard head, some- 

 times made to unship. 



One harpoon gun. 



One gun harpoon (the name 

 of the ship stamped on it), with 

 foregore spliced on. 



One hand harpoon, the name 

 of ship stamped on it, with fore- 

 gore spliced on. 



One mik. 



Four lances. 



Five lines, two and a half to 

 three inches. 



One hatchet (be careful to 

 keep this sharp, and place it 

 where it can be seized in a 

 moment to cut the line). 



One 'tail knife,' used for 



Mast and sail (occasionally). 



Five pulling oars, from four- 

 teen to sixteen feet. 



One steerer oar, from 

 eighteen to twenty feet. 



Spare tholepins, grummets 

 for each thwart, and thrum mats 

 for the oars. 



One jack or fast flag, with 

 staff. 



Two balers or small buckets. 



Two seal clubs or boat- 

 hooks. 



One marlingspike. 



One splicing fid. 



One file. 



One foghorn. 



One telescope (occasionally). 



One compass. 



Ball of spun yarn. 



One ' tow rope ' for towing 

 dead whales. 



One ' fin tow.' A rope used 

 for lashing the fins together 

 across the belly of the whale. 



Snow shovels and knives. 



One ice anchor or grapnel. 



Small ice saw. 



cutting holes in the fins and tail. 



In addition to this it is well to take a rifle with ammunition, 

 and a tin of hard biscuits. When you lower away after a fish, 

 you never can be sure, owing to fog and other circumstances, 

 when you will see the ship again. 



The oars are worked with a single tholepin and a rope 

 grummet (or grommet) on a small thrum mat to prevent 



