"BO WEE AD" FISHING. 195 



from the tanks of a Greenland whaler at the termination 

 of a cruise. For in those vessels, the fishing-time at 

 their disposal being so brief, they do not wait to boil 

 down the blubber, but, chopping it into small pieces, pass 

 it below as it is into tanks, to be rendered down by 

 the oil-mills ashore on the ship's return. 



This first bowhead yielded us eighteen tuns of oil and 

 a ton of baleen, which made the catch about equal in 

 value to that of a seven-tun cachalot. But the amount 

 of labour and care necessary in order to thoroughly dry 

 and cleanse the baleen was enormous ; in fact, for months 

 after we began the bowhead fishery there was almost 

 always something being done with the wretched stuff — 

 drying, scraping, etc. — which, as it was kept below, also 

 necessitated hoisting it up on deck and getting it down 

 again. 



After this beginning, it was again a considerable time 

 before we sighted any more ; but when we did, there 

 were quite a number of them — enough to employ all the 

 boats with one each. I was out of the fun this time, 

 being almost incapable of moving by reason of several 

 boils on my legs — the result, I suppose, of a long absti- 

 nence from fresh vegetables, or anything to supply their 

 place. 



As it happened, however, I lost no excitement by 

 remaining on board ; for while all the boats were away 

 a large bowhead rose near the ship, evidently being 

 harassed in some way by enemies, which I could not 

 at first see. He seemed quite unconscious of his 

 proximity to the ship, though, and at last came so near 

 that the whole performance was as visible as if it had 

 been got up for my benefit. Three " killers " were 

 attacking him at once, like wolves worrying a bull. 



