54 The Wlialebone. 



which latter being released disappears with a plunge, 

 the noise of which is drowned only by the cheers of 

 the men, the water being coloured with a sanguine 

 hue for some distance. The duties of the boat-steerers 

 during this operation are to cut up the large strips 

 of blubber as they are received on deck into pieces 

 about two feet square, with long knives. These 

 pieces are seized by the line managers, armed with 

 "pickies" or " pick-haaks," : and transported below 

 through a small hole in the main hatchway. Below 



Pick- ha ak. 



they are received by the " skeeman," and another 

 man denominated a " king," by whom they are 

 stowed temporarily between decks, until such time 

 as an opportunity may offer for performing the final 

 operation of " niaking-off." 



The whalebone, on being received on deck, is 

 split up into portions, each containing from nine to 

 sixteen blades, by means of large iron wedges, and 

 these are again divided into pieces of three or four 

 blades, when what is called the gum, which con- 

 nects them together, is removed. There are be- 

 tween three and four hundred of these blades in 

 each side of the head. 



1 A Dutch word. 



