e-ship, therefore, though she has great care and expense bestowed
on her, has not, in port, the graceful and elegant appearance possessed
by some other ships, bound to more genial climes. The crew do not sleep
in hammocks, as on board men-of-war, but in berths or standing
bed-places, erected on the half-deck forward. It is a dark retreat, and
not scented with sweet odours, especially after a ship has begun to take
in her cargo; but the weary seaman cares little where he lays his head,
provided it is in a dry and warm place.

We next come to the boats--a very important part of the outfit. The bow
and stern of a whale-boat are both sharp, rise considerably, and are
nearly alike. It has great beam, or breadth, to prevent its being
dragged, when towed by a whale, completely under the water. The keel is
convex in the centre, to enable it to be turned more easily; and for the
same reason it is steered by an oar instead of a rudder. The oar can
also turn a boat when she is at rest, and can scull her in calm weather
up to a whale without noise. A large-size boat is pulled by five oars,
and one to steer, and a small one by four oars; the first being from
twenty-six to twenty-eight feet long, and the last from twenty-three to
twenty-four. A large one is five feet five inches in breadth; and a
small one five feet three inches.

The rowers include the harpooner and the line-manager. They are
carvel-built--that is, the planks are placed as in a ship. Boats in
general are clinker-built--that is, the planks overlap each other; but
as they are difficult to repair, the other simpler method is employed.
A ship generally carries seven boats--two or more large, and the rest
small. They are suspended by cranes, or davits, in a row outside the
rigging, on either side of the ship, and another astern, so that they
can be directly lowered into the water. A smart crew will man and lower
a boat in the space of a minute, and be away in chase of a whale.

When we got on board, the boats' crews were busily employed in getting
their respective boats and gear ready for action. Each boat had a
harpooner, who pulled the bow oar, a steersman, next to him in rank, who
steered, and a line-manager, who pulled the after or stroke oar; and
besides them were two or three seamen who pulled the other oars.

The first operation, after cleansing the boats, was to get the lines
spliced and coiled away; and when it is remembered that each whale may
b