98 HISTORY OF THE WHALE. 



to approach it. At length, about eight, p. M., after forty 

 hours of almost incessant exertion, this formidable enemy 

 was slain. 



After whale has been caught and secured at the 

 sides of the ship, the next operation is that of flensing or se- 

 curing the blubber and whalebone. This disagreeable 

 process can, with the whole strength of the crew, be effect- 

 ed i 1 ! about four hours. Each seaman receives a dram, 

 and some of the more important personages receive two. 

 The huge carcass is somewhat extended by strong tackles 

 placed at the snout and tail : a band of blubber two or 

 three feet in width, encircling the fish's body at what is 

 the neck in other animals, is called the Jcent, because by 

 means of it the fish is turned over or Jcented. To this 

 band is fixed the lower extremity of a combination of 

 powerful blocks, called tbe Jcent-pur chase, by means of 

 which, the whole circumference of the animal is, section 

 by section, brought to the surface. The harpooners then, 

 having spikes on their feet to prevent their falling from 

 the carcass, begin with a kind of spade, and with huge 

 knives, to make long parallel cuts from end to end, which 

 are divided by cross-cuts into pieces of about half a ton. 

 These are conveyed on deck, and, being reduced into 

 smaller portions, are stowed in the hold. Finally, being 

 by other operations still further divided, it is put into casks, 

 which is called making-off, and packed down completely 

 by a suitable instrument. 



When this flensing is proceeding, and when it reaches 

 the lips, which contain much oil, the baleen is exposed. 

 This is detached by means of bone hand-spikes, bone 

 knives, and bone spades. The whole whalebone is hoist- 

 ed on deck in one mass, where it is split by bone-wedges 

 into junks, containing five or ten blades each, and stowed 

 away. When the whole whalebone and blubber are thus 

 procured, the two jaw-bones, from the quantity of oil 

 which they contain, are usually hoisted on deck, and then 

 only the kreng remains, the huge carcass of flesh and 



