INTRODUCTION 



bay or cove not far from the open sea. The flensing 

 slip and carcass platforms are the most striking por- 

 tions of the establishment, and these are surrounded 

 by boiling vats, the machine for drying the flesh, the 

 engine house, wharf, bunk houses, offices, and the 

 dwelling of the manager, the whole -forming an im- 

 posing group of buildings. 



Many of the whaling stations have very comfort- 

 able quarters and those on the bleak islands of the 

 South Atlantic are even luxurious. The manager's 

 house is often beautifully furnished, with electric 

 light, bathrooms, and even steam heat, so that when 

 one becomes accustomed to the all-pervading odor 

 from the "dryer," the station is a delightful place 

 at which to work. Although each one differs in re- 

 spect to food, nevertheless the meals are for the 

 most part excellent, for the managers realize that 

 if their men are to be contented they must be well 

 fed. 



The whaling ships usually return to the station 

 each night and, if one is free from seasickness, fur- 

 nish a rather inviting home for a short stay. They 

 are trim, high-bowed vessels of about one hundred 

 tons burden, ninety to one hundred feet long, and have 

 a speed of from nine to twelve knots per hour. Round- 

 bottomed to facilitate speedy manipulation, they ride 

 the water like a cork but roll and pitch almost beyond 

 belief in the slightest seaway. 



Most striking of all the upper works is the harpoon- 

 gun mounted upon a heavy iron support at the very 

 bow. It is a short cannon, 51^/2 inches long, with a 



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