EXTRACTS. 



307 



" When the harpoon is driven into a whale, the barb and buoy remain fast- 

 ened to him, but the staff comes out, and is taken into the canoe. The harpoon 

 which is thrown into the head of the whale has but one buoy attached ; but those 

 thrown into the body have as many as can be conveniently tied on ; and, when a 

 number of canoes join in the attack, it is not unusual for from thirty to forty of 

 these buoys to be made fast to the whale, which, of course, cannot sink, and is 

 easily despatched by their spears and lances. The buoys are fastened together 

 by means of a stout line made of spruce roots, first slightly roasted in hot ashes, 

 then split with knives into fine fibres, and finally twisted into ropes, which are 

 very strong and durable. These ropes are also used for towing the dead whale 

 to the shore. 



Fio. 3C8. 



Fio. 369. 



FIGS. 369 and 370. Makah whaling-canoe and paddle. 



"A whaling canoe invariably carries eight men : one in the bow, who is the 

 harpooner, one in the stern to steer, and six to paddle. The canoe is divided 



by sticks, which serve as stretchers or thwarts, into six spaces. When 



whales are in sight, and one or more canoes have put off in pursuit, it is usual 

 for some one to be on the look-out from a high position, so that in case a whale 

 is struck, a signal can be given and other canoes go to assist. When the whale 

 is dead, it is towed ashore to the most convenient spot, if possible to one of the 

 villages, and hauled as high on the beach as it can be floated. As soon as the 

 tide recedes, all hands swarm around the carcass with their knives, and in a very 

 short time the blubber is stripped off in blocks about two feet square. The por- 

 tion of blubber forming a saddle, taken from between the head and dorsal fin, is 

 esteemed the most choice, and is always the property of the person who first 

 strikes the whale. The other portions are distributed according to rule, each 



man knowing what he is to receive. The blubber, after being skinned, 



is cut into strips and boiled, to get out the oil that can be extracted by that pro- 

 cess ; this oil is carefully skimmed from the pots with clam shells. The blubber 



