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After dinner, ^[[at]] 2 1/2 o'clk P.M., All hands commenced taking in Blubber & Bone. Though sick, yet I kept out all the PM taking note of all I could see. The length of this ^[[whale]] [[strikethrough]] wh[[?]] [[/strikethrough]] was 51 feet - length of longest laminae whale bone 10 feet - 10 in. From this I [[strikethrough]] would [[/strikethrough]] judge, it will make 126 barrels of oil.
It is of same sex as the one caught the other day - "Bull', so called by ^[[the]] whalers. He is very fat - his sides - his belly & back, his head & tail stick out - a great many feet! I cannot ^[[even]] touch his beautiful white flank(?), but my hand is all covered with [[strikethrough]] tr[[?]] [[/strikethrough]] train!
What valuable "blankets" ^[[this Balaena]] Mysteretus were! The value of what ^[[have been]] [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] taken off to-day ^[[in]] what will be to-morrow morn, will exceed $2000.. Then what precious ^[[dental]] material this fellow has in his head! As I stood ^[[this PM]] within [[strikethrough]] the side^[[e]]s of [[/strikethrough]] Whale's [[strikethrough]] bone [[/strikethrough]] ^[[mouth]] [[strikethrough]] that forms the upper portion ^[[& sides]] of the Whales's mouth, [[/strikethrough]] Me - thought: 'How soon will this fairer than Fairy Castle - of 300 Corinthian Arches encircle thousands of the Fairest of God's Creation of my own natal [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] land!
In the capture of this whale, a noble act was performed. After Smith had made fast to [[strikethrough]] las [[/strikethrough]] ^[[it]] Capt. Tyson [[strikethrough]] with [[/strikethrough]] of the "Georgiana" [[strikethrough]] being [[/strikethrough]] having the only boats crew near, proceeded at once to lance the whale [[strikethrough]] having done [[/strikethrough]] ^[[after]] which ^[[ [he]] went directly about his business cruising for whales. Not a word was said by Capt. T. - [[underlined]] It was a noble act of deed - not words! [[/underlined]] A marked contrast between this & the conduct of Capt. Tyson's 1st officer, Mr. Church a few minutes previous to the appearance of Capt. T. with his crew. Immediately succeeding Smith's ^[[Boat- - herders]] throwing his irons into the whale, Chu^[[r]]ch came sailing up, proposing thus: 'I will help secure this whale, lancing [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] him for you, for half. Said Smith: 'If we cannot kill our own game, it may go to to h- be for all me'! When this Church left with something less man a whale - a flea in his ear!
In less than 1/2 an hour served ^[[others]] of the George Henry's boats were along side of the prize each making fast to him as they came up. But the old fellow was dead as ^[[any]] [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] whale could be before they arrived. Not one of the irons, but Smith's, had had the last strain. This most palpable, as I saw the irons taken out in taking in the Blubber.
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The natives are [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] ^[[now]] having a [[?]]-newd[[guess]] of ^[[whale]] feast! Eve^[[r]]y one is cramming his abdominal store-house to the utmost limit of expansion! What a sight, the sini[[?]] hand of each Esquimaux filled with ^[[a]] huge, [[strikethrough]] long [[/strikethrough]] ^[[elongated]] piece of nane-flesh, [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] alternate movements thrusting it into the mouth ^[[with true military precision of]] [[strikethrough]] an [[/strikethrough]] the ram - down - cartridge - taches[[guess]] & with the dexterity of a Turk with his Damascus, striking upward with his Seal or [[?]]y-loo knife, Guillotining the long drawn out morsel, with a guaged stroke with a hair's breath from chin, life & pug-nose!
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