Report on the Dominion Government Expedition to Hudson Bay and the Arctic Islands on board the D.G.S. Neptune, 1903-1904

by A. P. Low

The body is everywhere covered with a thick skin, which varies from an inch to an inch and a half in thickness. This thick ‘blackskin’ forms a luxury in the diet of the Eskimos and whalers. It is eaten boiled, a small amount of blubber being attached to give it flavour. When cooked it has the appearance of thick black india-rubber, and is soft and glutinous, while its flavour approaches that of the clam.

The fat or blubber is found everywhere directly below the skin, and is thickest towards the tail. It bears a resemblance to very fat pork, and is from twelve to eighteen inches in thickness. The flesh of the whale is coarse and tough, and is used largely for dog-food; although often eaten by the Eskimos, it is only when seal or walrus meat cannot be obtained.

Whales are gregarious, and when plentiful travel in large bands, but they are now so rare that a band of three or four is the greatest number seen together of late years.

There are two methods employed in the chase after whales. The Scotch whalers of Baffin bay cruise about in small steamers, and depend wholly upon their own white crew to man their boats. The American whalers and the stations depend more or less upon the Eskimos to form their boats’ crews.

The Scotch steamers are small, stout vessels, from 300 to 400 tons register. Those, British-built, are of hardwood throughout, while the Norwegian ships have hardwood frames and softwood planking. The timbers and planking in all are very heavy, and the sides are further strengthened by a sheathing of greenheart or ironbark, both exceedingly hard, tough woods. This sheathing extends from above the water-line to near the keel; the planks forming it are from three to six inches thick, and are capable of resisting great pressure from the ice, as well as withstanding its cutting action which would soon wear through unprotected sides. The bows are further strengthened by being backed by several feet of solid timber, while, outside, thick plates and bands of iron protect the bow and stem. The sides are also strengthened by a layer of rock-salt, filled in between the timbers and between the skin of the ship, and by an inside sheathing fastened to the timber, so that with the outside sheathing of greenheart, the planking and the salt-filling, the sides are from eighteen to twenty-four inches thick. Notwithstanding this great strength, the usual fate of these ships is to be crushed in the ice.

The ships are three-masted and barque rigged, differing in appearance from an ordinary wooden barque by the presence of large barrels fitted to the tops of the fore and main masts, and used for observation stations when working the ship through ice or when chasing whales. The small engine and boiler are placed aft, between the main and mizzen masts, where the strong deck beams can be best spared. The engine works a two-bladed propeller, which drives the ships at rates varying from four to seven knots an hour.

The lower hold of the ship is filled with a number of iron tanks that rise to the level of the middle deck, and which are used to store the blubber. On leaving home all these tanks are filled with coal, which is also stowed in every other available space, the usual amount of coal for the voyage being from 250 to 300 tons. The between-deck space is used for stowing provisions, and for the quarters of part of the crew.

The officers and crew usually number about fifty persons, sufficient to man six whaleboats and to leave men on board to work the vessel.

The boats are narrow, and are pointed at both ends. Their length is about twenty-six feet. They are propelled by five oars, or by sail. When rowing the steersman uses a long sweep oar, and when sailing a rudder, so arranged as to be easily unshipped and hung on the side of the boat. Scotch whaleboats are built of larch, while the American are made of cedar. Another difference is that the latter are centre-board boats, while the former have fixed keels.

On the whaling grounds the boats hang ready in davits, three on a side, with all their whaling gear in place, and ready to be lowered at a moment’s notice. A man is always on the lookout in the barrel, and when a whale is sighted the captain takes his place there and directs the movements of the boats from the ship by signals made with sails and other signs. He is also in connection with the engine-room, and controls the ship from that lofty perch.