The weather being fine, with a steady N.E. wind blowing, so that
the sails 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