It was very comfortable, cutting-in a sperm whale in harbour,
after the dire difficulty of performing the same operation in a
seaway. And, although it may seem strange, this was the first
occasion that voyage that I had had a really good opportunity of
closely studying the whale's anatomy. Consequently the work was
exceedingly interesting, and, in spite of the labour involved, I
was almost sorry when the job was done. Under the present
favourable circumstances we were ready to cut the carcass adrift
shortly after midday, the head, of course, having been taken off
first. Just after we started to cut-in a boat appeared alongside
with six Maories and half-breeds on board. Their leader came up
and civilly asked the skipper whether he intended doing anything
with the carcass. Upon being promptly answered in the negative,
he said that he and his companions proposed hooking on to the
great mass when we cut it adrift, towing it ashore, and getting
out of it what oil we had been unable to extract, which at sea is
always lost to the ship. He also suggested that he would be
prepared to take reasonable terms for such oil, which we should
be able to mingle with ours to our advantage.
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