AND ITS APPOINTMENTS. 33 



the boat ; lie alone uses the weapons and the 

 telescope ; the strongest man in the boat usu- 

 ally sits next to the harpooner to hold and haul 

 in the line when a walrus is struck, and it is 

 also his duty to hand the harpoons and lances 

 to the harpooner as required. 



There is a deep notch cut in the centre of 

 the stem-piece, and three others in a piece of 

 hard wood on each side of it ; these are for the 

 lines running through, and great care is requi- 

 site to prevent them from slipping further aft 

 on the gunwale than the notches, as if they 

 do, the boat will probably be upset ; it is from 

 this cause that most of the accidents that one 

 occasionally hears of occur. 



There is sometimes also a "bollard," or little 

 upright post in the bow of the boat for making 

 fast the lines to, but many harpooners prefer 

 to dispense with this, using instead the fore- 

 most thwart of the boat. 



The boats are invariably painted white out- 

 side, in order to make their appearance assimi- 

 late as much as possible to that of the ice, and 

 I think it would also be a great advantage to 

 have the crews dressed in caps and jackets of 

 some shiny white material, which would keep 

 its colour in spite of dirt and grease. 



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