ABNEWS WE ALE. 81 



dawned we were allowed a short rest, while the work of 

 cutting up the head was undertaken by the rested men 

 aft. At seven bells (7.30) it was "turn to" all hands 

 again. The "junk" was hooked on to both cutting 

 tackles, and the windlass manned by everybody who 

 could get hold. Slowly the enormous mass rose, canting 

 the ship heavily as it came, while every stick and rope 

 aloft complained of the great strain upon them. When 

 at last it was safely shipped, and the tackles cast off, the 

 size of this small portion of a full-grown cachalot's body 

 could be realized, not before. 



It was hauled from the gangway by tackles, and 

 securely lashed to the rail running round beneath the 

 top of the bulwarks for that purpose— the " lash-rail " 

 — where the top of it towered up as high as the third 

 ratline of the main-rigging. Then there was another 

 spell, while the "case" was separated from the skull. 

 This was too large to get on board, so it was lifted half- 

 way out of water by the tackles, one hooked on each side ; 

 then they were made fast, and a spar rigged across them 

 at a good height above the top of the case. A small 

 block was lashed to this spar, through which a line was 

 rove. A long, narrow bucket was attached to one end 

 of this rope ; the other end on deck was attended by two 

 men. One unfortunate beggar was perched aloft on the 

 above-mentioned spar, where his position, like the main- 

 yard of Marryatt's verbose carpenter was " precarious 

 and not at all permanent." He was provided with a 

 pole, with which he pushed the bucket down through a 

 hole cut in the upper end of the " case," whence it was 

 drawn out by the chaps on deck full of spermaceti. It 

 was a weary, unsatisfactory process, wasting a great deal 

 of the substance being baled out ; but no other way was 



