The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-05
greasy foothold and rolled about in the


horrible stun.
On deck other men "mlnce" the horse
pieces, still others tend the trypots, the
oil press and the color5. while the cooper
sets up and flags" the casks ready TO
stow the oil down fl the hold. And so
the work in all its phases goes merrily
on in sea of grease everywhere. From
one end Of the ship to the other there Is
grease. But the boiling once over. the
ship is washed with strong I've. and made
as clean as when her keel first cut the
water. During the daytime trying out is
dirty and disgusting work. But at night
time there is an entire change. Hanging
near the trypots is the "bvg-light," a
wire basket of about n bushel capacity.
This is filled with the scraps" that have
been skinned from the pots and squeezed
In the press. but which stDl contain con-
siderable oil, and which burn with a vigor
that would discount a torch of pitch.
This is the only light Not infrequenty
tn bug light Of another whaler will
be seen glimn ering brightly through the
darkness, while lot an outline of the
vessel is visible.
AS we watch operations under this light
we see the men moving about the deck
like dark characterless phantoms. In the
foreground are two seething pots. each
made impish by the contending glows OF
the fire and the bug-light and by the
steaming, seething oil-tends each fire.
With a long handled fork he reaches out
into the empty darkness. picks up a
shapeless mass and drops II into the pot.
Laying down the fork he reaches for a
long pole. stirs up the pot, returns the
pole into its dark corner brings out a
SKINNER, takes off the scraps, then re-
turns the skinner and producing a lade
proceeds TO dip out the steaming, seeth-
Ing Oil and empty II off into the dark
ness-for the cooler is simply a deep
shadow.
And thus the operation goes on hour
after hour throughout the entire night
without interruption except by the mo-
mentary delays with the few changes
In the shifts OF the men.
III is only on such occasions as this that
the fuii charm and fascination OF whaling
can be appreciated. More stories NAV
&c swapped' and more yarns spun dur
Ing the daily dog watch" wher the star
board and port watch are together and
all hands are on deck. But urder the
glow OF the bug-light, with the excite
Heht OF the successful chase fresh IN
mind, and every inducement NJ hand a.
recall past experiences, there is an inter-
change OF yarns that brings ont ALL the
picturesqueness Of the whalemans life
me oug-light casts a spell over every
thlng. 1t gives marvellous elasticity IN
stories hat have already been told dur-
ing the dog-watch. 1t extends the i'm
agination and lubricates the yarn-snin-
ming tendencies of the sailors. Tn otI,t-
crates the lines between the possible and
the impossible. And. most of all. IL breeds
good nature. All hands talk for the sake
OF talking rather than In the exps,ta-
ton OF being listened to.
NO mention Of whaling in the Arctic
regions Is complete without toucbing
upon the part the Eskimos PLAY in a..
Many vessels ship two or three natlv,s
Tor the season as sailors and nav tbam
partially In blubber. Many OF these men
nave come to expect the flukas OF n whale
as perquisite. and such a perouisits is
OF great value. since 1t represents food
enough Tor one family for a considers HE
porfior OF the winter. Returninr from
inc Arctic We stopped in Behring Straits
10 iand our three me-, Each one had
pis perquisite, and the whole settlement
tirned out to help land them. Our vessel
was lull." Not a gallon OF oil-carryinc
capacity was left. and In the blubber room
were TWO tons or more Of blubber that
had not been boiled out. This. too. we
gave 10 the natives. and a Cod-send II
was. ior they were about entering upon
the winter season With . short sunny Of