Immemorial to all his order, this investiture
alone will adequately protect him, while employed in the peculiar
functions of his office.
That office consists in mincing the horse-pieces of blubber
for the pots; an operation which is conducted at a curious
wooden horse, planted endwise against the bulwarks,
and with a capacious tub beneath it, into which the minced
pieces drop, fast as the sheets from a rapt orator's desk.
Arrayed in decent black; occupying a conspicuous pulpit;
intent on bible leaves; what a candidate for an archbishopric,
what a lad for a Pope were this mincer!*
* Bible leaves! Bible leaves! This is the invariable cry
from the mates to the mincer. It enjoins him to be careful,
and cut his work into as thin slices as possible, inasmuch as by
so doing the business of boiling out the oil is much accelerated,
and its quantity considerably increased, besides perhaps improving
it in quality.
CHAPTER 96
The Try-Works
Besides her hoisted boats, an American whaler is outwardly distinguished
by her try-works. She presents the curious anomaly of the most solid
masonry joining with oak and hemp in constituting the completed ship.
It is as if from the open field a brick-kiln were transported
to her planks.
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