The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-09-13
POINTS ON WHALING.
Actions of the Leviathans After Being
Harpooned.

Actions of the Leviathans After Being
Harpooned.
The crew of the average whaling
ship numbers about forty persons, in
Guiding the master, mates. boat
steerers and other petty officers and
seamen proper. The whale being of
quick sight and hearing, it is always
approached quietly from behind, and
when the stem of the whale boat al
most touches the huge fish the har-
pooner buries the iron in its back. The
wounded whale threshes the water
with his fins and tail, and unless the
boat has been quickly backed by the
rOwers at the instant of striking they
will be exposed to great danger. As
soon as whale is struck it generally
tries to escape by sinking to great
depth, and while the line is running
out the greatest care is exercised by
those in the boat The line tender al
lows the rope to pay out freely as the
whale Sinks and an assistant stands
by him with uplifted AK to chop the
line in the event of it becoming fouled
that is tangled-for then it would
draw the boat down with as much ease
as if it We're an eggshell.
A wounded whale remains under
water from twenty to thirty minutes,
face to breathe. As soon as it reappears
the boat makes for it, and another ha-
pooh is plunged into it. 1t wilIFnG
either dive again or start off at great
speed, swimming near the top, and
dragging the boat after. As soon as
the leyiathan is exhausted the har-
pOOner drives a lance into his body,
aiming at the vitals. The sea in the
vicinity of dying whale is colored
with its blood. and the thrashing the
great fish makes with its tremendous
tail is so deafening that on a calm day
it may be heard several miles distant.
After whale is captured it is made
fast alongside the ship: then hole is
cut through the blubber on the back
part of the head, and a perfect well
discovered which contains several bar
rels of the choicest oil. the same being
baiIed out in buckets The next process
is called tiensing. This consists of strip
ping the blubber fl ON the bones. 1t is
cut off in lengths called bankruptcies,
and from these the oil is tried out by
means of the huge pots which rest on
top of the brick tireplaces built on the
upper deck.
The officers and crew of the whaling
ship receive no salary, but ship on an
agreement called lay, which provides
that they shall have certain percent
e u 5
wording Of the agreement reads that a
man is to have a fiftieth lay, it means
that out of every fifty barrels OF oil
taken he is to have one barrel for his
share. If no whales are captured. no
one is entitled TO any remuneration
whatever. although the ship may have
been out for year. The owners of the
vessel, however. are obliged to victual
her and to pay all expenses of the voy-
age. In the event Of successful
whaling trip the profits even for one
of the forecastle hands amount to con-
siderable. Sometimes after killing a
whale it will sink before it can be Sc
cured, and the men will realize that
their exertionS and the peril through
, which they have passed have counted
for naught. Disasters OccaSiOned by
blows from the whale are quite fire.
quent. Boats are sometimes totally
destroyed by a stroke of the tail, and
the crew crushed and drowned. Whales
have been known to make an attack
upon every boat in their vicinity, dash
ing them in pieces, or, grinding them
between their massive jaws. p aul
Hull, in Harper's Young People.