238 HISTORY AND METHODS OP THE FISHERIES. 



engaged pounding away at the enormous casks in a neighboring shop. While the ship is " abeam 

 ends," and the carpenters are pottering away at her bottom and sides, there is little of interest to 

 the outsider. But when she has been righted upon an even keel, and the carpenters, calkors, 

 painters, riggers, and blacksmiths, swarmed about her sides, decks, and masts, the scene becomes 

 a lively one. It is not, however, until the mechanics have progressed far enough in their different 

 kinds of work to permit the approach of the stevedore, with his troup of never-tiring longshore- 

 men, with their incessant tramp, tramp, tramp, up and down the gang plank, carrying packages 

 of provisions of all kinds, that the actual busy scene commences. During the operation of fitting 

 out a whaler for a four years' voyage, her wharf presents a scene of unusual bustle and activity ; and 

 when one sees the vast amount and variety of provisions, and the great quantity of domestic uten- 

 sils stowed away in the different parts of the ship, the idea of housekeeping on a gigantic scale 

 naturally suggests itself. The long rakish oil jiggers, drawn by two stout horses, come rumbling 

 and jolting along, laden with oil-casks, try pots, cutting- tackles, blubber-hooks, and other heavy 

 articles ; the light jobbing wagons, with parties who are interested in fitting the vessel or, perhaps, 

 filled with provisions or clothing, drive along cautiously, keeping clear of the strong wheels of the 

 jigger; light express wagons, with packages from Boston or elsewhere, endeavor to deliver their 

 loads and get away; wagons of all descriptions from shops, stores, factories, and warehouses, 

 representing almost every branch of the industries, hasten to deposit their loads and depart; or 

 perhaps the outfitters, owners, or aeut of the vessel, in their light and stylish buggies or car- 

 riages, persist in threading their way carefully through the blockade of incoming and outgoing 

 wagons, to see what is going on, or to give an order to the "ship-keeper" or "boss stevedore." 

 Letter-carriers hasten to deliver their mail, and the swiftly running Western Union Telegraph 

 boys hunt in vain the owners or agent. In the mean time, also, comes the long skeleton boat- wagon, 

 drawn by one horse, consisting of a light running gear with slender upright recurved arms extend- 

 ing from the axles and embracing the whale-boat as it is transported from the shop to the vessel. 



The outfits for a whaling voyage consist of the ordinary vessel supplies, provisions, clothing, 

 domestic utensils, carpenters', coopers', and blacksmiths' tools, apparatus for the capture of the 

 whale, for removing the blubber and hoisting it in, for preparing it for the try-works, and for boil 

 ing out the oil, and for stowing the oil away. 



The oil-casks must be stowed away carefully and compactly; and in order to economize space, 

 they are filled with salt water, both to ballast the ship and to preserve the wood, with fresh water 

 for the ship's use, provisions, clothing, and other supplies, consisting of the heads and hoops of 

 other casks, spare sails, and cordage. To convey an intelligent account of the manner in which 

 the hold is broken out to stow down a fare of oil at sea, it will first be necessary to describe the 

 manner in which the casks are stowed away at home. Oil-casks are always stowed lengthwise, or 

 "fore and aft," as it is called, and never athwartships, with bung-holes up.* The largest casks 

 are laid off in the ground tier, and filled with fresh water from the Acushnet Eiver, by means of 

 a flexible hose attached to a hydrant on the wharf. The water is then "salted," about three peeks 

 of salt being the proper amount for a 44-inch cask, and proportionate quantities for the other 

 sizes. The manner of stowing away the riding casks is practically the same on all of the large 

 vessels belonging to New Bedford; but the positions of the casks which contain fresh water and 

 other supplies vary to a large extent, depending upon the desires of the master and upon the size 

 of the vessel. It is important that the fresh-water casks should be stowed in accessible places. 



""Bnngupand bilge free " is the Excelsior of the whaleman in stowing his cargo. This expression, originally 

 applied to a well-stored cask, has become an idiomatic phrase as applied to a person in good health or in a prosperous 

 condition. 



