Equipping the Boats. 29 



in that duty ; also a fin tow, which is a rope used 

 to lash the two fins together across the belly of the 

 fish, so as to offer no impediment whilst towing. 

 Thole-pins are always used in whale boats, and the 

 oars are invariably muffled by a sort of thrum mat, 

 which lies on the gunwale. A Turk's head 1 is 

 worked on the loom of each oar, which prevents it 

 from going through the grummet on the thole-pin, 

 when pushed out after striking a fish, allowing it 

 to run fore and aft with the boat. A steer oar is 

 always used in preference to a rudder, over which 

 it decidedly has many advantages. By its means, 

 on a still day, a boat may be sculled close up to a 

 whale, which would otherwise be frightened by the 

 splashing of oars ; with it a boat may be instantly 

 swept round, though lying quiescent at the time ; 

 and a boat is more easily managed among ice by 

 being propelled with its aid between floes or 

 amongst loose pack. On striking the whale, the 

 steer oar is pushed out to the Turk's head, which, 

 as on the pulling oars, is worked on the loom, the 

 boat steerer immediately throwing back the apron 

 and kneeling down at the very extremity of the 

 boat, where he attends carefully to the running 

 out of the line. When a boat is in want of more 



1 A Turk's head is a description of knot, which is plaited 

 on to a rope or oar, thereby forming an obstruction and pre- 

 venting anything from slipping past it. 



