There is always so very much hidden knowledge which has passed away with those who through blood, sweat and death earned those findings which now have been dispensed with to the great shame of the people whose fortunes that work built.
I was reviewing the vocation of whaling beyond Captain Ahab drama, because I wonder always in reading of history why things were done the way they were.
For example, manilla rope 1 1/2 inch round in yellow color was what was utilized. To keep it "straight" it was coiled into barrels, and to keep it from wrapping around sailors who would be dragged to their deaths by plunging whales upon being harpooned.
Why manilla rope of all types is what are so many questions in my mind, as this was a definite art, and I know that perhaps hemp or other fibers were tried, but for whaling, harpooning and strength, including effects of saltwater on fibers, manilla rope must have been found to be the best or it would not be used.
That is million dollar knowledge and the means between living and dying when it is you sending out ships or you being in a boat harpooning a whale where a mistake means your death.
Oars were inspected closely as they were the navigation and power of a boat, both to close on a whale and to return to a ship. I wonder of what kind of wood, as heft and weight would play a role in the choice, as well as spring in the wood and durability.
The rope were in coils of 200 and 100 fathoms. Measurements of 1200 feet and 600 feet give an impression how far a whale would dive, and it leads to the conclusion that the long coils were for the first runs, and later shorter coils were used as the whale was tiring and bleeding out.
The harpoons were armed three to a boat and the intricacies of them were minute. They were barbed devices like arrowheads, but one side was a curved blade sharpened razor edge. The barb would pivot on a pin of steel, but be kept in place by a wooden dowel which passed through the barb and the shaft of the spear.
Of interest was the shaft which was two and one half feet long, and was of malleable soft iron, which literally could be coiled. This would mean the severe effects of the whale being harpooned with the barb embedded would require a metal which would not pull out the barb nor break from the heavy stress of the rope, as that junction point was a boat and the men inside, against the force of the entire whale and a rolling sea.
The pivot in the dowel breaking off would then allow the rope to not coil due to the maneuvers of the whale nor the actions of waves on the boat.
A fresh harpoon was always used for the first plunge, and two reserves were laid in starboard, which points to most whalers were right handed.
Lances were kept in the boat to kill the whale. They were four feet long, of heart shaped or round cutting edges of steel and two inches in width. These were attached to lance poles of the same length, and were plunged into the whale, and then pulled back out by use of a rope.
These were extremely sharp talons having a surgeon's edge as the harpoon killed nothing, and it was only the lances which ended life.
The whale boats had a center removable keel board. Each had five oars nine to sixteen feet with one steering oar of 19 feet. Two sails of broad width and with a barrel of water and supplies these hunting craft plied the waters from the main ship.
The Americans even had a shoulder bomb gun in their mess with a six man crew.
It was not just whales which were hunted but porpoise too. Porpoise have no skin but a thin black layer. If wounded, and escaped their pack members would eat them. A catch was made off the main ship, in one harpooner throwing the spear, and the crew hauling in the porpoise.
The crew would then by tail rig bring the porpoise on board to a number of 20, and they would be cut up with knives in blubber chunks.
The blubber would be rendered on board the ship in a copper kettle of large size, and the fuel would literally be the scrap or rendered out blubber, as it burned hot and clean with little ash.
The hopper for the blubber was wooden, and the furnace kindled at a 200 gallon capacity would start rendering with the cooling kettle holding the oil being 300 gallons.
Water would be filled below the furnaces about one foot deep to keep the deck from catching on fire.
20 porpoise would render out to one barrel of oil.
Porpoise beef was said to be acceptable to the crews, who were not permitted to eat the delicacies of liver, kidneys and brains, as that was officer fare. It was though a meat which if left to hang to age would become tender and improve with flavor.
It was either that or the rancid fare of cask beef, salted and always of a spoiled nature.
Now you know so many more things.......perhaps I might speak of whale hunting so you will not have to forever wonder how good a whale steak is.
agtG
