THE WIIALK FISIIKKY. 229 



CHOOSING THE WATCH. When fairly under way the ship's company is rold off in two divis- 

 sions, or parties, which alternately relieve each other in the performance of the duties connected 

 with the vessel during the voyage, in order that one-half of the crew may obtain recreation, while 

 the other half is at work. Each subdivision is known as the " watch ;" reckoning from 12 m. 

 there are seven watches ; live of four hours each, and two of two hours each; called dog-watches. 



The divisions of the crew are knowu as the starboard and larboard watches, commanded 

 respectively by the first and second mates or the second and third mates, who are known as 

 "watch-headers." The officers select their own men when, the subdivision is made.. These divis- 

 ions are again divided into boats' crews. One wa-teli^ox half of the crew, is always on deck, 

 except at the beginning of the voyage, when both watches are usually employed during the day in 

 rigging the boats, besides standing their watches at night. When a ship is making her passage 

 the crew stand whole watches, or sea watches, four hours on and four off, usually called "watch 

 and watch." On the whaling ground in the southern fishery, when a ship is hove to in mid- 

 ocean they stand " quarter-watches," one-fourth of the working hands, or half of each watch being 

 on duty, headed by the boat-steerers ; but in the Arctic regions when near the shore the usual 

 watches are kept. 



In the southern fishery the men in bad weather stand four hours on deck and eight below on 

 a three-boat vessel, and four hours on deck and twelve below on a four-boater. 



On three-boat vessels they stand "boats' crews" watches, the time being divided between 

 supper and breakfast when outward bound and sometimes on whaling grounds. When not engaged 

 in whaling the watch may be employed in making sennit of spun yarn, mats for chafing-gear, 

 overhauling cutting gear, and in many other duties connected with the vessel. 



The day on a whale ship begins at an early hour; the crew usually get breakfast at sunrise, 

 after which sail is set, the decks scrubbed, and men sent aloft to look out for whales. The duties 

 of the men at the mast head will be mentioned elsewhere. 



At 4 p. in. the decks are swept and washed off; from 4 to 5 being the first hour of the dog 

 watch, all the watch, except the men on the lookout for whales and the man at the wheel, engage 

 in this work, At o p. m. the watch has supper, and at 5.30 the men at the mast-heads and the 

 wheel are relieved. From 5 to 7 the watch is allowed to loaf, smoke, and spin yarns, the only 

 time for such liberties during the day. 



On the whaling ground in the southern fisheries the men are recalled from the mast-heads at 

 sunset, and all hands both watches are summoned to shorten sail; the starboard watch takes 

 in the main and the nmzcn sail and the larboard watch the foremast and head sails. During this 

 work the mate has charge of the forward part of the vessel and the second mate the afterpart, and in 

 reeling the topsails the boat-steerers haul out the earings and the foremast hands knot the points. 



SELECTION' OF BOATS' CREWS. One of the first duties to be attended to is the selection of the 

 boats' crews. If the vessel has four boats on their craues, her crew must be subdivided into a cor- 

 responding number of boats' crews. The captain and his mates select their own crews; and the 

 men are. chosen with reference to the positions for which, in the opinions of the officers, they are 

 best adapted. 



The following account of the manner in which boats' crews and watches are selected may vary 

 somewhat when applied to all vessels ; but it is the custom usually adopted on the average New 

 JJedt'ord sperm whaler. The captain has first choice, and picks his harpooner; the mate, second 

 mate, and third mate, severally and consecutively in the order of their rank, select their boat- 

 steerers, and the fourth mate takes " Hopkins' choice" from the remaining material available for 

 harpooners, and, as is sometimes the case, gets the best man after all. The oarsmen are selected 



