ter than a ton of oil in it," observed old
Knowles, who was aiding the work. "It's worth no end of money."

"Wears yet a precious jewel in his crown," observed Newman, leaning
eagerly over the side. "It's fine work this, though."

A stage had been let down at the side of the vessel, on which those who
had cut off the head were stationed. One of them now made a hole in the
blubber with the instrument used for cutting-in, called a spade. A rope
was then fastened round the waist of another man, and he descended on
the body of the whale, taking the hook I have spoken of in his hand.
This hook he fastened into the hole he had cut. The operation now
began.

Some with spades cut the blubber or fat mass which surrounds the body
into a strip between two and three feet wide, in a spiral form, while
others hoisted away on the tackle to which the hook was attached.
Slowly the blanket-piece, thus cut off, ascended over the side, the body
turning round and round as its coat or bandage, for so we may call it,
was unwound. By the side of the pots were _horses_--blocks of wood--on
which the blubber was cut up. As the long strip was drawn up, another
hook was secured lower down, and the upper part of the blanket-piece was
cut off and chopped into thin pieces on the blocks. The pieces were
then thrown into big pots, under which fires were kindled. After the
first caldrons-full had been boiled, the lumps of blubber from which the
oil had been extracted were taken out, and served as fuel to continue
our fires. In reality, the whole operation was performed in a very
cleanly and orderly way; but a stranger at a distance would scarcely
think so.

Night overtook us while we were engaged in the work, and watch and watch
we continued it, lest a gale might spring up and compel us to abandon
our prize before it was all secured. No scene could be wilder or more
unearthly than that presented during the night by the whaler's decks.
The lurid fires surrounding the seething caldrons cast a red glare on
all around--on the masts and rigging of the ship, enveloped in the dense
wreaths of smoke which ascended from them--on the sturdy forms of the
seamen, with their muscular arms bared to the shoulder. Some were
cutting off huge blanket-pieces; others chopping them small on the
horses; others throwing them into the pots, or with long poles stirring
the boiling fluid, or raking out the scraps, as the refuse is called, to
feed the flames; while