230 MARINE MAMMALS OF THE NORTH-WESTERN COAST. 



person in charge of the vessel takes his station at the main- topgaUant cross-trees, 

 where a sharp watch is kept, both on the whales and boats. When tlie whales are 

 upon the surface of the water, a flag is usually hoisted at the main -topgallant 

 mast-head; and when they go down, the flag is lowered; and to indicate their 

 bearing from the ship, the following signals are made with the sails: "Whales on 

 the weather bow," weather clew of the fore -topsail or fore-topgallantsail is hauled 

 up; "Whales on the lee bow," lee clews of the same sails are taken up; "Whales 

 on the weather beam," weather clew of main -topsail or topgallantsail up, and gen- 

 erally with a waif* pointed to windward; "Whales on the lee beam," lee clew of 



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Mast-head Waif. 



the same sails up; "Whales ahead," jib down; "Whales between the boats," flags 

 at the fore and main mast-heads; "Come on board," flag at tlie peak- "Boat 

 stove," flag at the fore and mizzen mast-heads. In si)erm-whalino- durino- Ijo-ht 

 weather, the crews sometimes go a long distance from the vessel, at least ten or 

 twelve miles; but this is not the regular practice. In right -whaling, however it 

 is expected that the ship and boats will keep near enough together to communicate 

 by signals, unless enveloped in fog, rain, or snow, which occurs in high latitudes, 

 where this species of bala^na are chiefly souglit ; and the moment a bank of fog 

 obscures the vessel, the rule is to "haul aback," if practicable, or in other words 

 to keep the ship as near the same position as possible where she was last seen by 

 the people in the boats ; who, having previously taken the bearings, find their way 

 back by the aid of the compass, and the sounding of horns, or the {m\v of o-uns 

 from the vessel ; or, if the boats are caught out at night, lights are set, and some- 

 times a fire is made on the "back arches" of the try -works, by which means the 

 whole ship is illuminated, when every spar glistens in relief upon a dark, misty 

 background, with the sails flapping against the masts as the ship rolls and tumbles 

 over the sea, or the swelling canvas yields to the dank blasts that are sweeping 

 by in fitful moaning sounds, as if to render the scene more ghastly. From the 

 time a whale is discovered until the capture is made, and the animal cut in, the 

 scene is one of laborious excitement. If the whale is first seen spouting, the' man 



*Tlie mast-head waif is a light pole six or covered with canvas; it is sometimes called a 

 eight feet long, with a hoop fastened at the end "yonder" by English whalers. 



