204 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



body, as the first strain comes on the rope, the yarn breaks, the 

 flanges open out, and give a very sure and strong hold on the 

 Whale, the rope paying out with the harpoon. The gun itself 

 is very strong and heavy, and works on an easy swivel on a 

 small platform in the extreme bows of the boat ; it can be turned 

 about to fire not only ahead but on either side of the boat. The 

 captain always takes charge of the gun. 



The stricken Whale first plunges, and then, coming to the 

 surface, violently thrashes the water with his powerful flukes. I 

 have seen one turn over and over and over till he got turn after 

 turn of the rope round his body, then he gives two or three 

 violent grunts, almost like roars, whistling as the expirations 

 become feebler, followed by a violent quiver or "flurry," and all 

 is over. The carcase is now hauled in to the ship, and a chain 

 is passed round the body where it is thinnest, just in front of 

 the "flukes," which are cut off to facilitate towing, and then we 

 steam away to the whaling station or factory, where we leave 

 the carcase, and at once go out to sea again (Plate I. fig. 1). 

 One boat will sometimes capture three or four Whales in a day. 



There are powerful steam- windlasses at the station, for the 

 steamer leaves the Whale in the water at the foot of a slanting 

 platform, up which the body is dragged, tail first, by the wind- 

 lass. A wide and large railway-truck platform runs in on rails 

 to the exact level of the top of the slanting platform, on which 

 the body is dragged by the help of the steam-windlass, pulleys, 

 and wire ropes and chains. The engine is attached to the truck, 

 and it is taken by a short railway round the head of the bluff 

 to the cutting up and boiling works, which are out on the open 

 sea-beach. Here the cutting up and boiling is always going 

 on — an interesting process ! 



Nearly all the Europeans employed both on the boats and 

 at the factories are Norwegians, though there are also English- 

 men, and Scottish engineers, of course. The captains and crews 

 of the boats are paid a " living " wage, but they get a bonus 

 for every Whale captured. There are about one hundred 

 Kafirs employed in each factory for cutting up the Whales, and 

 twenty-five at work at a time to each Whale. They have 

 day and night shifts, and it is an interesting sight to see 

 them working, with their scant clothing consisting of nothing 



