THE ARCTIC SEAS. 155 
much exhausted. The men now thrust into his body 
long and slender steel lances, and aiming at the vitals 
these wounds soon prove fatal: blood mixed with 
water is discharged from the blow-holes, and pre- 
sently streams of blood alone are ejected, which 
frequently drench the boats and men, and colour 
the sea far around. Sometimes the last agony of the 
victim is marked by convulsive motions with the tail, 
attended with imminent danger; but at other times, 
it yields its life quietly, turning gently over on its 
side. The flags are now struck, three hearty cheers 
resound, and the unwieldy prey is towed in triumph 
to the ship. 
So huge a mass, of course, is slowly moved 
through the water, but there are few operations 
that are more joyously performed; it is like the 
harvest-home of the farmer. When arrived, it is 
secured alongside the ship, and somewhat stretched 
by tackles at the head and tail, and the process of 
jflensing commences. The men having shoes armed 
with long iron spikes to maintain their footing, get 
down on the huge and slippery carcass, and with 
very long knives and sharp spades make parallel cuts 
through the blubber, from the head to the tail. A 
band of fat, however, is left around the neck, called 
the kent, to which hooks and ropes are attached for 
the purpose of shifting round the carcass. The long 
parallel strips are divided across into portions weigh- 
ing about half a ton each,.and being separated from 
the flesh beneath, are hoisted on board, chopped into 
pieces, and put into casks. When the whalebone 
is exposed, it is detached by spades, &c., made for the 
