168 MARVELS OF FISH LIFE 
whale ? But our inability to sleep was merely due 
to the novelty of our surroundings, for our kind- 
hearted host slept soundly on the sofa, snored like a 
fog-horn, and woke thoroughly refreshed for his meal. 
We started on excellent coffee, and then followed a 
royal repast which was most welcome after our long 
walk—soup with some body in it, followed by suet, 
mutton, sago pudding, cheese, and finishing up with 
cake, rye whisky, and strong cigars. Fortified in this 
manner, we ventured to inspect the station. 
Five large whales were lying in the bay, and in 
consequence of the heat suggested inflated balloons. 
All around thousands of gulls were screeching and skirl- 
ing, as they fought over the offal. Without these scav- 
engers it is difficult to imagine what a whaling station 
would be like! We saw the cranes by which the whales 
were hoisted out of the water on to a large wooden 
platform. Here they were cut up. The flesh was then 
boiled down in huge cauldrons, ultimately to be con- 
verted into cake-food for cattle, and the bones were 
used for artificial manure. 
On this station there were two whaling boats— 
steamers some ninety feet in length. In the bows of 
each boat was a swivel gun from which could be shot a 
harpoon. The whales were met with from fifty to one 
hundred miles outside the island of St. Kalda. Each of 
the boats was away about a week, at the end of which 
time it returned to the station, towing a string of 
five or six whales. It was a very interesting after- 
