252 DIVISION I. VEliTEBRAL ANIMALS. — CLASS I. MAMMALIA. 



called tlie "Icent purcliase," by means of •which tlie whole circumference of the 

 animal is, section by section, broiiglit to the surface. Tlie harpooners then, 

 ha\ing spikes on their feet to prevent their falling I'roni the carcass, begin with 

 a kind of spade, and with huge knives, to make long parallel cuts from end to 

 end, which arc di\ ided by cross-cuts into pieces of about half a ton. These 

 arc conveyed on deck, and, being reduced into smaller portions, arc stowed 

 in the hold. Finally, being by other operations still fiu'thcr divided, it is 

 put into casks, ^\hich is called "making-off," and packed down completely by 

 a suitable instrument. 



"\\'hcn this llensing is proceeding, and when it reaches the lips, which con- 

 tain much oil, the baleen, or whalebone, is exposed. This is detached by 

 means of '' bone handspikes," ''bone knives," and " bone spades." The whole 

 whalebone is hoisted on deck in one mass, wdicrc it is split Ijy "bone-wedges" 

 into junks, containing li\e or ten blades each, and stowed away. AVhen the 

 whole of the whalebone and jihibijcr are thus procured, the two jaw-bones, 

 from the quantity of oil which tliey contain, arc usually hoisted i.iu deck; and 

 then only the "kreng" remains — the huge carcass of flesh and lioue, which 

 is aiiandoncd either to sink, or to bt; devoured by birds, and sharks, and bears, 

 which duly attend on such occasions for their share of the pix'V. 



It will be readily belie\ed that none of the proceedings \vliicb \ve have now 

 been considering arc free fnjui numerous perils. In a high sea the tlcnsing 

 itself is often difficult or inipossiiilc, and those U[ion the body nf the animal 

 are exposed to considerable risk. Sometimes they I'all into the whale's 

 month, at the imminent hazard of being drowned. In the case of a heavy 

 swell, they arc drenched, and often washed oyer by tlie surge. Occasionally 

 they have tlicir ropes broken, and are wounded by each other's kni\es. i\Ir. 

 Scorseby mentions an instance of a man, who, after the ilensing was com- 

 pleted, happened to have his foot attached by a hook to the carcass when it 

 was inadvertently let go. lie caught hold of the gunwale of the b<.iat, but 

 the whole immense mass was now suspended by his body, occasioning the 

 most excruciating torture, and even exposing it to the risk of being torn 

 asunder; when his cnuipanions contri\ed afresh to hook the carcass with a 

 grapnel, and brought it back to tlie surface. 



In the account which we have presented of the capture of the Greenland 

 whale, all circumstances arc supposed to be favorable ; but often it is the very 

 reverse. A storm may arise, and a fog often cn\elops the whole operation ; 

 immense islands or Hoes, i. e., masses of field-ice, may be impelled upon 

 them by the tempest, and with such velocity as to overwhelm them in a mo- 

 ment ; or a frost mav make them fast in its bard and icy grasp. It is such 

 incidents as these wdiich make this em[iloyment one of the most trying and 

 hazardous that can be pursued ; while they occasionally lead to the most 



