s
tail, and hoisted him on deck. If a cat has nine lives, a Greenland
shark may be said to have ninety. We cut him on the head and tail with
hatchets, and knocked out any brains he might have possessed, and still
he would not die. At last the surgeon cut him up, and hours after each
individual piece seemed to have life remaining in it.

Sometimes when the tackles are removed the carcase of the whale sinks,
and the fish at the bottom are alone the better for it; but at other
times, as in this case, it floats, and not only the birds and sharks,
but the bears find a hearty meal off it. This krang floated away; and
afterwards, as I shall have presently to relate, was the source of much
amusement. I ought to have said, that while the harpooners were
flensing the whale, another division of the crew were employed in
receiving it on deck, in pieces of half a ton each, while others cut it
into portable pieces of about a foot square; and a third set passed it
down a hole in the main hatches to between decks, where it was received
by two men, styled kings, who stowed it away in a receptacle called the
"flense gut." Here it remained till there was time for "making off."

Having now got our prize on board, the owners being probably 500 pounds
richer, should we reach home in safety, than they were a few hours
before, we set to work to make off the blubber, that is, to stow it away
in the casks in the hold. For this purpose we ran out some miles from
the ice, in smooth water, and hove to, with just sufficient sail set to
steady the ship. While the skee-man--the officer who has charge of the
hold--the cooper, and a few others, were breaking out the hold, that is,
getting at the ground or lowest tier of casks, we on deck were arranging
the speck-trough, and other apparatus required for preparing the
blubber.

The speck-trough is an oblong box, with a lid, about twelve feet in
length. The lid, when thrown back, forms a chopping-table; and it is
covered with bits of whale's tail from end to end, which, being elastic,
though hard, prevents the knives being blunted. In the middle of the
trough is a square hole, which is placed over the hatchway; and to the
hole is attached a hose or pipe of canvas, leading into the hold, and
movable, so as to be placed over the bungs of each cask. A pair of
nippers embrace it, so as to stop the blubber from running down when no
cask is under.

The krang is the refuse, as I have said, and the