To the watch, bending over the yard with nought between them and oblivion but a slender foot rope, this was no easy task even in a moderate wind. In a gale, with wet or frozen sails, the stowing of this huge expanse of thrashing canvas can be better imagined than described. [Illustration] _STOWING THE OUTER JIB_ [Illustration] _A TYPICAL BOW_ Here we have the bows of the barque “California” of New Bedford, built in the early eighteen forties. Square-rigged whaling craft varied in size from two hundred and fifty to four hundred tons, seldom exceeding the latter figure. Many were painted “frigate fashion” with black ports along the side--a relic of the days when merchant ships used this device to deceive pirates into the belief that they were heavily armed. The whaler had a beauty peculiarly her own. She was rather a tubby little thing, but with much grace notwithstanding. She was held in supreme contempt by the officers and crews of her contemporaneous big sisters the flash clippers, who referred to her as “spouter” and “butcher shop.” [Illustration] _A TYPICAL STERN_ Unlike merchant ships, whalers had to keep their forward deck clear so that all space could be devoted to the “cutting in” and “trying out” of blubber. The forward deck-house, characteristic of cargo carriers, which contained the gallery and crew’s quarters, was moved far aft--half to starboard--half to larboard--with a deck overhead from which the quarter-boats were lowered. The stern shown is that of “Lagoda,” a half size model of which has been installed in the Whaling Museum in New Bedford. [Illustration] _THE DECK_ This diagram shows the deck arrangement of “Lagoda” of New Bedford and was characteristic of all square-rigged whalers. A--B--C--D--E--Boats hanging on the davits. Many ships did not swing a boat in the position of “B.” In their order the boats were named as follows:--“Bow”--“Starboard Bow”--“Waist”--“Larboard”--“Starboard.” The latter was known as the captain’s boat, though in later years the captain did not leave the ship. The first mate had the larboard boat--second mate the waist--third mate the bow. The senior boatsteerer took the starboard bow boat unless the ship carried a fourth mate. F--Spare boats on the skids--or boat bridge. G--The main hatch. H--The try works. J--The steering wheel.--To left of the wheel, the companion stairs to captain’s quarters. K--The galley. L--The “cutting-in” stage. At this point a section of the bulwarks was removed during cutting in. M--The foc’s’le hatch leading to crew’s quarters below. N--The windlass. [Illustration] _The Whaleboat_ Boats varied from 28 to 30 feet in length, with a beam of 5-1/2 to 6 feet. A--Bow showing the “chocks,” a channel in the stem through which the whale line ran. This was fitted with a bronze roller--or lined with sheet lead.