338 FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. [68] 



CHAINS. 



Hoisting in Blubber. 

 Fin-chain. 



Heavy chain with large triangular loose link, or "ring" at one end, 

 and small "ring" at the other. Length, 15 feet. New Bedford, 

 Massachusetts, 1882. 57721. U. S. Fish Commission. Com- 

 mon to all whaling- vessels. Used for raising the fin and the 

 "head" of the first blanket-pieces. Some of these chains have 

 a loose ring shackled to the chain for the blubber-hook. 



Head-Chain. 



hoisting in head of whale (case and junk). 



Case-chain. 



Case-chain, technically termed the "head-strap," " case-strap," or 

 "junk-strap," employed in the sperm-whale fishery. Length, 

 7 feet. New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1882. 57722. U. S. Fish 

 Commission. The whale having been decapitated, and the 

 head subdivided, if a large whale, into two sections — the "junk" 

 and "case" — one end of the chain is rove through a hole made 

 in the case or junk ; the other is passed through the bight, or 

 loop, and made fast to the lower block of the blubber-tackle. 

 The case, which contains the spermaceti, may be hoisted in a 

 vertical position, the lower end remaining in the water, and its 

 contents bailed over the side of the ship, or it may be hoisted 

 on deck. The entire head of a small whale may be also hoisted 

 in with this style of chain; hence "head-strap." This chain is 

 smaller than those in general use. 



Toggles, or Fids. 

 Blubber-toggle. 



The toggle, or fid (57724), made of hard wood, was formerly in gen- 

 eral use on all American whaling- vessels, and is used to a cer- 

 tain extent, on many of them at present. This may be included 

 among the earliest implements that have been steadily em- 

 ployed in this fishery. Recently, however, the improved method 

 of strapping the lower block of the blubber- tackle has rendered 

 the fid useless on the vessels which have adopted the new 

 style. Notwithstanding this, the majority of vessels usually 

 carry the fid, to be used if necessary, and more especially the 

 Provincetown schooners, which use this implement altogether. 

 Length, 24 inches. New Bedford, Massachusetts. 57724. Gift 

 of Jonathan Bourne. 



