CHAPTER SIXTEEN 



^Cutting in' and 

 'Trying out' 



AFTER A HURRIED MEAL Hodgc and Thomas, armed with 

 long-handled cutting spades, climbed on to the staging 

 that had been rigged on the ship's side to overhang the 

 whale and for the time being the differences between the 

 two men were overshadowed by the important task of 

 'cutting in'. 



While Hodge decapitated the whale by cutting away 

 the flesh and severing the backbone where it entered the 

 skull Thomas made a broad semicircular incision in the 

 coat of blubber near the side fin ; and within this arc he 

 cut out a hole big enough to receive the fluke of the big 

 iron blubber hook. 



The head, which occupied about a third of the whale's 

 length, was hoisted by means of tackles on to the deck 

 where it would eventually be opened at the top by a 

 harpooner and the precious spermaceti oil baled from the 

 case. So pure was this oil that it was poured straight 

 into the casks and required no further treatment. 



The long lower jaw would be unhinged and the teeth 

 would provide ivory for the men to carve into the decor- 

 ative forms known as 'scrimshaw' work during the long 



