THE AMERICAN WHALE-FISHERY. 



239 



the blubber is being tried out rapidly ; and for this reason, the casks, when first 

 filled, require the constant attention of the cooper, as the hoops have to be fre- 

 quently driven, to prevent leakage. The oil taken from the case of the Sperm 

 Whale is sometimes put into casks without boiling ; but, usually, it is carefully 

 scalded with the junk and a portion of the hump, and whei^ put into casks, it 

 is known as head, or head -matter. After the oil becomes cool, it is run through 

 a hose into empty casks, which have been prepared with great care, and securely 

 stowed in the hold, or they are lowered and stowed after being filled on deck. 



The whole "fare" having been stowed down, the decks are cleaned up, and 

 with lye (which is leeched from cinders and ashes taken from the furnaces of the 

 try- works), the ship is thoroughly washed, as well as the soiled clothing of the 



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I. Blubber-fork. 2. Stirring -pole. 3. Ski.m.mer. 4. Bailer. 5. Fire-pike. 



crew, when everything fore and aft again wears an aspect of order and cleanliness. 

 Notwithstanding the great labor involved in obtaining the oil from a whale after 

 its capture, ships have often been filled in a very short space of time. In former 

 years, it was no unusual occurrence for both sperm and right whalers to get 

 "blubber -logged," which is the expression used when as many whales are caught 

 at one time as can possibly be cut in and tried out ; and at the present day, in 

 the Arctic Ocean, whales are so scarce, that, m order to secure a good catch, if 

 opportunity presents, as it may the last of the season, the whole between- decks of 

 the ship is freciuently filled with blubber before much boiling is done. At such 

 times, it is necessary to drive the work, and often eighty or one hundred barrels 

 of oil have been tried out and stowed down in twenty -four hours, and in a few 

 weeks many an empty ship has been filled, or has secured a good catch. 



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