s required no attention, work proceeded steadily all the morning.
The oars were sorted, examined for flaws, and placed in the boats; the
whale-line, manilla rope like yellow silk, 1 1/2 inch round, was brought
on deck, stretched and coiled down with the greatest care into tubs,
holding, some 200 fathoms, and others 100 fathoms each. New harpoons
were fitted to poles of rough but heavy wood, without any attempt at
neatness, but every attention to strength. The shape of these weapons
was not, as is generally thought, that of an arrow, but rather like an
arrow with one huge barb, the upper part of which curved out from the
shaft. The whole of the barb turned on a stout pivot of steel, but was
kept in line with the shaft by a tiny wooden peg which passed through
barb and shaft, being then cut off smoothly on both sides. The point
of the harpoon had at one side a wedge-shaped edge, ground to razor
keenness, the other side was flat. The shaft, about thirty inches long,
was of the best malleable iron, so soft that it would tie into a knot
and straighten out again without fracture. Three harpoons, or "irons" as
they were always called, were placed in each boat, fitted one above the
other in the starboard bow, the first for use being always one unused
before, Opposite to them in the boat were fitted three lances for the
purpose of KILLING whales, the harpoons being only the means by which
the boat was attached to a fish, and quite useless to inflict a fatal
wound. These lances were slender spears of malleable iron about four
feet long, with oval or heart-shaped points of fine steel about two
inches broad, their edges kept keen as a surgeon's lancet. By means of
a socket at the other end they were attached to neat handles, or
"lance-poles," about as long again, the whole weapon being thus about
eight feet in length, and furnished with a light line, or "lance-warp,"
for the purpose of drawing it back again when it had been darted at a
whale.

Each boat was fitted with a centre-board, or sliding keel, which was
drawn up, when not in use, into a case standing in the boat's middle,
very much in the way. But the American whalemen regard these clumsy
contrivances as indispensable, so there's an end on't. The other
furniture of a boat comprised five oars of varying lengths from sixteen
to nine feet, one great steering oar of nineteen feet, a mast and two
sails of great area for so small a craft, spritsail shape; two tubs of
whale-line c