THE BLAOKFISH AND POEPOISB PISHEEIES. 299 



" When the water ebbs and leaves them dry upon the beach, then their blubber is taken off, 

 cut in slices and the oil fried out, about 30 gallons of oil, upon an average, being obtained from 

 each fish, besides about 6 quarts of extra oil from the melon. The melons are taken from the top 

 of the head, reaching from the spout-hole to the end of the nose and from the top of the head down 

 to the upper jaw, and when taken off in one piece they represent a half water-melon, weighing 

 about 25 pounds, and when the knife is put into the center of this melon the oil runs more freely 

 than the water does from a very nice water-melon ; hence the name melon oil." 



As may be inferred from what has already been written, blackfish oil is of considerable value, 

 and a school of these cetaceans is no small windfall to one of the cape villages. The oil is rated as 

 common whale oil, and for a few years has sold at from 30 to 50 cents a gallon. Cape Cod has two 

 oil factories, established chiefly for the purpose of trying out blackfish blubber. 



The head oil or melon oil, as also oil from the jaws, is refined in small quantities for the use 

 of watch and instrument makers, and is sold under the name of porpoise-jaw oil. A history of its 

 manufacture is given below in the discussion of the Porpoise fishery. 



CAPTURE BY WHALERS. Blackfish are not usually an object of pursuit by whalemen, but 

 when the larger prey is scarce their time is sometimes occupied in taking these animals. 



In addition to the shore fishery for blackfish, Provincetown for many years sent three or four 

 vessels of its whaling fleet to the east of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland in search of blackfish. 

 They were equipped like the sperm whalers and employed the same methods of oil manufacture. 

 It was by one of these vessels, the Edwin and Eienzi, that the Hatteras sperm-whale cruising 

 ground was discovered in 1837. Captain Henry Clay, of New Bedford, tells me that the blackfish 

 captured at sea average larger than those that are beached. The average yield of oil is about 

 40 gallons, but he has seen individuals that yielded 150 gallons, and has heard of some that stowed 

 down over five barrels each. Few whalemen take the trouble to separate the head and body 

 oil. The method of capture practiced by the Provincetown whalers was as follows : As soon as a 

 school was sighted, two boats' crews were lowered, and chased the fish as they would a school of 

 whales. The boat-steerer fastened on to one or perhaps two at a time. The second fish he fastened 

 to with the second iron. Number two would flounce about without drawing the harpoon. The 

 boat-header killed either one he could reach first. Instead of towing the dead fish to the vessel, 

 air-tight kegs or " pokes" were made fast to them so that the ship-keeper could pick them up, and the 

 boats cut the lines and followed the school. When the water is bloody the fish apparently make 

 no exertion to escape, and oftentimes a dozen or fifteen would be killed at a lowering. In remov- 

 ing the blubber, cutting-gear similar to that used for cutting in whales, but lighter, was employed. 

 If the fish were small a strap was put round the flukes and they were hoisted in to be cut up on 

 deck; but the large ones were decapitated in the water. The head was hoisted in, and the 

 blubber cut lengthwise of the fish, and a circle round the body near the "small"; a long shanked 

 hook attached to the cutting tackle was inserted in the blubber, and as the men heaved at the 

 windlass the carcass revolved in the water, and the blubber, in one piece with the fins attached, 

 was peeled off with one revolution. The blubber was also removed from the " small." The head 

 was dissected on deck ; first the melon was removed, then the throat, next the under jaw, and 

 lastly the " head-skin," which is the whaleman's term for the blubber on top of the head. The sides 

 and back of the neck are mainly " white-horse." 



The method of capture by the Pacific whalemen is thus described by Scammon : " When a ship's 

 boat is lowered for blackfish, the chase begins as for other whales, although many masters have 

 their boats all ready and run just ahead of or into a 'school' with the ship before lowering, by 

 which means the animals are so frightened or ' gallied,' that they 'bring to, 'or move slowly in 



