402 "WASTE NOT, WANT NOT." 



large bill-hooks. Some are peeling off the blubber that 

 surrounds the whole carcass, and serves during the life of 

 the animal to protect its warm blood from the deadly chill- 

 ing of the arctic water. Others are hacking at the al- 

 ready peeled portion of the flesh-mountain, and thus de- 

 taching great slabs that slide down the sloping whale-pier 

 into the sea, to float and stink until further orders are 

 received concerning their disposal. In the course of this 

 carving process, the operator has to bury himself in the 

 chasm he has cut, in order to complete the separation of 

 each lump. The condition of the mail after thus diving 

 and slashing into the midst of this gory filth, may be 

 better imagined than described ! " 



It is to be noted as a characteristic of the Yadso whale- 

 fishery, that it provides for the careful and profitable 

 utilization of the whole animal. Now the Greenland 

 fishers, as we have seen, are guilty of enormous waste ; 

 they reserve only the blubber and bone, and the fish, en- 

 trails, and skin fling into the open sea. The Yadsoites, 

 on the other hand, convert all that cannot be otherwise 

 employed that is, all that does not furnish oil or whale- 

 bone into fish guano, which is likely to become popular 

 with agriculturists as a rich phosphatic manure. 



There seems reason to believe that the Norwegian 

 whale-fishery may extend beyond Yadso, and enter -into 

 competition with that of Greenland ; always provided the 

 harpoon-guns, with their formidable projectiles, do not 

 exterminate the whales. But it is to be hoped that a pre- 

 scient legislation will enact a " close time " for the ocean- 

 monsters, and prescribe certain limits to the whalers in 

 their usual cruises. It would be a serious disaster if this 

 important fishery were destroyed by an imprudent greed 



