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A Brief Description Of The Whale Fishery

A Brief Description Of The Whale Fishery image
Parent Issue
Day
26
Month
December
Year
1842
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

; From i the timo n whnle ship lea ves porf, until she has procurorl a áflrgb óf oil, Uicrnnre men stationed at raast hrad, one at the foremast heart, ons at Wie main-mnst, tmd one ntl the mizen-mast. Their clevation is from 50 to 80 fect above ship's deck. These men aro relieved once in two hourd d uring tiie day ; After sailing man y weeks and soim-times maiiy monthp, whalos of dilToront kinds máyrhave heen oeen, but not bcing valuéd fur thoir oil theyarenot aUncked. Thv e nic six kind-v viz: Spenn, Righr, Hnmpback, Fii.Ijock, Sulphor bottom, and the Gram pus. Onlv the tliree farmer aro valnnd for their oil. Vhen tjie man atmast-head sees tbc water blow up by a wlmle, lie cries out in a loud voice, "There the b!ov-s! ' and repeats the cry as often bs stie blow?. Tho Mastrr or Oliicer oskp, "Where awav?" Tlie rep!y is civen, "two points on our ee bcw, Sir,'; by the sailor filofr, or in any ether djtcction6 the cnse may be. Orders are then given Tot bèffTing tlie eliip down for the wimle, unlil witfiin onefegfiüi or one-half of a müe, as circutüsfances will admit, alwaye striving ïf.possifale to keep the Bbip to the windward of the whale, becauee after atiacking1 her she almnst invarialy nin anrainst wind and feectj which jniïke it a laborioue task for ehipkeépèra ih the ehfp to the vljalé. Orders are oncemorc íru'en (o the sailort-, '-Back the Main ynrd."- Th? command is instamly obeyed. ' Ín this evolution, the éftip'è sailsare put in èüb a position that a pair have a 'iehüénfy. to eivé tl.-oehip a as wc!! as a irect moHon, so that she remains n'éarijt staüonr.ry. A commnnd ia fhén giveh to 'lowcr áwáy the boafs, nutnboritíg frorn threo to five, as c1"pends on the size of thc Lhin, and tho'irombnr of the ere-v. This is r.roinpiïy obeved, by swmgín,? cranes pfqeclirjf out "or. E!rë ehip's eides, from under the'boats and elacking nwav on the davit tackles. Eacli boat is manned by píx men: an olficer or mnte, a harpooner cr jot-steerer and four peameii. Now . each crew makee every possible exorüon in propellingr )te boaí to see who eholl have t!ie honor and pr.iite of the firct attuck. Wlien .withn a few yarde, the Wpoojier stands up, takes he fata! neapon in his hand, which is ctíachedto acmall cord of many fathoms, coiled snugly away near the stem" of the boar. and vith rood force and aïm .'yives the monster ú leatb-blow. The wh-.'ie'now connde, ot decends a great öept!) mío i he sen, noí often so ít, hovreverasto tafee tHe whol Ichgíh''f he line. VVluJe 6ie is ascendiriir Ihe.bpat'a cío' js neaving hor, hy IylB)g 'in the linemade fost Ui ber} and the other boat's crewg are now rêady to givc .!:er tho sec o tul altack wiih thcir harpoons, as soon as gljo to the suiface. Aé soon as 'h: s dorië, stations are changed by the officer and iiarpooiier of each boat - the harpooner goes to ihc stern and steers tlie boat, winic the officer steps forward ijito the bow of the sames takes t)e lance in hnnd, and darts it info tito vvliale un totheliilt which is about three feet. Thé lance is ottnched to f line six or oïsfïit fathoms! long, made fast to tho boat. The bfado is of an oval or dinmond shape perfeclly pohited! and slinrp, witii a lófig irori shonk; ín which is! R sockot fitted to a Ptaffsix örèight foet long, tita whcn thrown, givèé tlu; iroa nmch Torce! Tljig process is repeutcd by the different boats as oft.en os an opportnnity occurs, until she ijoes into i jlarry, eo calied, or breathing her latt, when al! boairi ttand clear g'winar he'r line niil she gives tjie jaüt hut dreadfi-1 eíruffgíe, and pea. A ai'ga.] is tlien given by holding a nagj whicJl i kno'Wn by the bhipkerpors ás a sifrijfil that tiio wh-ilo is dead and fot them to scil the ship to her. This is Öóne as soon as A hrge hawsêr'is n;ade fapt to the tail or.flukes, v!';ich is alio made fosl on board the ship and sho comes alongide. Nearly all pnil is raken in. All hanJs coirunence gettfngJ lier in by cutting with spades, and nr. the s:me time at the windlass with a teie tnckleand fall attachod to it, until they have hoisted up a piece íifteen or twonty feëi lohs and three or foüT wide. Tl. o tliickness depcruls upon the blübhor or f:it flesli of the whale, nsinlly fr,6m six to fourteeh inchep. Thcro id thrn a process to go through, caücd boanlin, which ia nqíbjttg more tiu.n thicjpiece in two, .alrearlv so that iï vvill swing in midshir, over themam hatch. Orders aie thon given, "Lower awny. ' At the eume moment" it falls down beuvixt dccks into vvhat is callcd tJie Blubber Room. More are men statiwncil wiio cut it Hito picees from ten to erghteen biches ttrtjw, and cirrljt lo twelvc wi;!e. From theie it 7 tlmnvri up on deck and tuk-cn to the mincinghoñsc, wheroa irían tanda willi a tnincing'. kiiife, (b!;apeil Ticariy as n bíísir-Pcythe uiiíi'a handlo on er.ch end,) a:ul elicee it irjto picces from oue quarter of an inr.h to an incii tiiick. From tlience it is tlirown iuto try-phisy so caüed, elevaterl on brick work, similar to those uped by farmer?, only of niuch larger i For stnrlinp, firo-wood iá fust uf-ed, aftcr_ wards scraps nnd blubber are utcd ihr fuel in trying out whales durinpr the voyage. As the pots fill up, the oi! is dipped info a cistern, trom tüenre jpto cpskfl which are put below, and ítímed away, where it remairia ur.til discharged from shi;.

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Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News