cut the whale's head off. This
operation, involving the greatest amount of labour in the whole of the
cutting in, was taken in hand by the first and second mates, who, armed
with twelve-feet spades, took their station upon the stage, leaned over
the handrail to steady themselves, and plunged their weapons vigorously
down through the massive neck of the animal--if neck it could be said to
have--following a well-defined crease in the blubber. At the same time
the other officers passed a heavy chain sling around the long, narrow
lower jaw, hooking one of the big cutting tackles into it, the "fall" of
which was then taken to the windlass and hove tight, turning the whale
on her back. A deep cut was then made on both sides of the rising jaw,
the windlass was kept going, and gradually the whole of the throat was
raised high enough for a hole to be cut through its mass, into which the
strap of the second cutting tackle was inserted and secured by passing
a huge toggle of oak through its eye. The second tackle was then hove
taut, and the jaw, with a large piece of blubber attached, was cut off
from the body with a boarding-knife, a tool not unlike a cutlass blade
set into a three-foot-long wooden handle.

Upon being severed the whole piece swung easily inboard and was lowered
on deck. The fast tackle was now hove upon while the third mate on
the stage cut down diagonally into the blubber on the body, which the
purchase ripped off in a broad strip or "blanket" about five feet
wide and a foot thick. Meanwhile the other two officers carved away
vigorously at the head, varying their labours by cutting a hole right
through the snout. This when completed received a heavy chain for the
purpose of securing the head. When the blubber had been about half
stripped off the body, a halt was called in order that the work of
cutting off the head might be finished, for it was a task of incredible
difficulty. It was accomplished at last, and the mass floated astern
by a stout rope, after which the windlass pawls clattered merrily, the
"blankets" rose in quick succession, and were cut off and lowered into
the square of the main batch or "blubber-room." A short time sufficed to
strip off the whole of the body-blubber, and when at last the tail was
reached, the backbone was cut through, the huge mass of flesh floating
away to feed the innumerable scavengers of the sea. No sooner was the
last of the blubber lowered into the hold than the hatches we