290
THE SEAS
which is necessary for future legislation.
In the course
'
of the cruises undertaken the conditions of the whales’
.
environment and the distribution of their food have also
been studied and great advances have been made in our
knowledge of the whole oceanography of the southern
ocean, and antarctic waters.
.
In the early days ot whale sh1ng the chase must have
been fraught with danger and excitement, for thehunters
ventured forth in trail boats and came to close quarters
with the whale in order to drive their harpoons in by hand.
A whaling vessel usually carried six of these small chasers,
boats twenty-sevèn feet in length.
”fo—day the whale chaser is a steam driven steel ship of
anything up to 130 feet in length and capable of speeds
_
of thirteen 'to fteen knots.
harpoon is shot from a
_
gun and is itself six feet long and 100 pounds in weight
Ithas fout barbs, each a foot long,.which spring ont when
the harpoon is buried in-the whale’s' esh; in the
of the harpoon is a small shell loaded with powder which is
.
eXploded by time fuse and helps to hasten the end'of the
Whale (Plate 103).
Attached to the harpoon are 1,000
fathoms of stout -rope on which with the help of"a steam
Winch the whale is played.
_
.
'
The captured whale, with air pumped into it to make it
0at lightly, is towed back to harbour where the factorv
is situated and there.-theïblubber is striPped off it and other
parts are put through the various processes necessary for
î>roduc‘ingr the oil.
The whàlebone
cut O_ÎÏ and the
meat is cut into—chunks and "packed in boxes ready -for
shipment.
‘…
,
.
.
Inorder to remove the blubber, incisions are made along
the whole length of. the . body… 'A stout hook ris then
inserted into the blubber at the head end and by means of
-
a chain and winch,the blubber is stripped from the body,
THE SEAS
which is necessary for future legislation.
In the course
'
of the cruises undertaken the conditions of the whales’
.
environment and the distribution of their food have also
been studied and great advances have been made in our
knowledge of the whole oceanography of the southern
ocean, and antarctic waters.
.
In the early days ot whale sh1ng the chase must have
been fraught with danger and excitement, for thehunters
ventured forth in trail boats and came to close quarters
with the whale in order to drive their harpoons in by hand.
A whaling vessel usually carried six of these small chasers,
boats twenty-sevèn feet in length.
”fo—day the whale chaser is a steam driven steel ship of
anything up to 130 feet in length and capable of speeds
_
of thirteen 'to fteen knots.
harpoon is shot from a
_
gun and is itself six feet long and 100 pounds in weight
Ithas fout barbs, each a foot long,.which spring ont when
the harpoon is buried in-the whale’s' esh; in the
of the harpoon is a small shell loaded with powder which is
.
eXploded by time fuse and helps to hasten the end'of the
Whale (Plate 103).
Attached to the harpoon are 1,000
fathoms of stout -rope on which with the help of"a steam
Winch the whale is played.
_
.
'
The captured whale, with air pumped into it to make it
0at lightly, is towed back to harbour where the factorv
is situated and there.-theïblubber is striPped off it and other
parts are put through the various processes necessary for
î>roduc‘ingr the oil.
The whàlebone
cut O_ÎÏ and the
meat is cut into—chunks and "packed in boxes ready -for
shipment.
‘…
,
.
.
Inorder to remove the blubber, incisions are made along
the whole length of. the . body… 'A stout hook ris then
inserted into the blubber at the head end and by means of
-
a chain and winch,the blubber is stripped from the body,