26 



THE WHALE HUNTERS 



nineteenth century when it was eagerly sought by the 

 manufacturers of such articles as whips, umbrellas and 

 ladies' corsets. 



The huge tongue which was as long as an elephant's 

 body had also been removed and would be boiled down 

 to produce as many as fifteen barrels of whale oil. 



The most important task for the whalemen, however, 

 was the removal of the blubber that covered the whale on 

 whose slippery sea-washed surface men were now making 

 deep incisions with specially made cutting spades. They 

 severed off long strips and as turf is cut from the soil so this 



