Chap. XL WHALING BOATS AND TACKLE. 321 
sailing or running when fast to a whale. A boat in 
the act of peaking her oars to stop, is said to " heave 
" up." The mast and large lug-sail are stowed, while 
rowing, under the after-thwart with the other end pro- 
jecting on the starboard hand of the helmsman, who 
can thus stow or unstow it himself. A whiff, or light 
flag-staff with fancy colours attached, is stowed with 
the mast and sail. The mast is shipped in the bow or 
second thwart, and the halyards are made fast to the 
midship-thwart. These boats are very fast under sail, 
and will bear a great press of canvas. In the bow of 
the boat a planking, similar to that in the stern, reaches 
some three or four feet aft, and has at its after end a 
notch large enough to admit a man's leg. This is to 
steady the harpooner while striking the whale. One 
of the forward thole-pins is called the crutch^ from 
having branches on it which support the harpoons ready 
for use. The harpoon is an iron weapon, shaped like 
the top of a fleur-de-lis, and barbed so as not to draw 
out. It is placed on an ashen handle, five feet long, 
and its point is covered by a small wooden case. The 
line is already fast to them, and communicates with 
two tubs in the middle of the boat, in which two hun- 
dred fathoms of whale-line are neatly coiled. Spare 
harpoons, and lances with oval steel-pointed heads, all 
covered at the points, are ranged under the thwarts ; a 
light kedge is in the head-sheets, a water-keg and a 
bottle of grog are placed in the stem-sheets, with the 
pea-coats of the crew, and a box of biscuit if they ex- 
pect to remain out late. Sometimes a " spade " is added 
to the armoury of the boat ; this is a sharp iron weapon, 
like a small baker's shovel, on a long handle. It is 
used by some of the boldest whalers to cut about the 
whale's tail and render her less dangerous after she has 
been struck. 
VOL. I. Y 
