OETACEA. 



Lancing the Whale. 



On being struck, the Whale instantly dives downward, with the velocity, it appears from the drawing 

 out of the line, of ten miles an hour. The moment the animal disappears, or leaves the boat, a flag is ele- 

 vated on a stnlT, at sight of which, those watching on the ship's deck give the alarm. The crew rush on 

 deck, perhaps from their berths, and hurry into the boats. 



The rapidity with which the line is drawn out by the Whale, occasions so much friction on the boat's 

 edge, as often to shroud the harpooner in smoke, and. but for pouring on water, the boat would take fire. 

 Sometimes the line gets foul, and tl>e boat is drawn under water, and then the crew must swim for their 

 lives. The fish generally remains about half an hour under water, and then often rises at some dis- 

 tance from where it descended. The assisting boats hurry to it, and ply their harpoons and lances. At 

 length, exhausted by wounds and loss of blood, it indicates the approach of death by spouting blood from 

 its blow-holes, and sometimes by a convulsive struggle. Finally it turns on its back or side, and ceases 

 to breathe. 



The next operation is called "flensing," which is the clearing of the carcass of its bone and blubber. 

 The dead animal is fastened alongside the ship, and men go down upon it with their feet armed with spurs 

 to prevent slipping, and with knives and other instruments cut off the blubber in slips, which, being by 

 others cut smaller, are then stowed in the hold. This is all that is now done to the Whale in its native 

 regions. The concluding process, which is the conversion of the blubber into oil for use, is essentially the 

 same as that by which the fat of the hog is made lard, and the fat of the ox tallow. That is, it is boiled 

 and purified. The long, technical description, given by writers on this topic, we need not here transcribe. 



ritffflH&n 



(l$3) 



Skeleton of the Whnle. 

 17 



