BAILING THE CASE
If the whale was small, the case was hoisted on deck where it was laid open and the liquid spermaceti saved with scoops and dippers,—but if it was too heavy for this it was secured to the side of the ship, nose end down. A hole was cut into the reservoir and a “case bucket” rigged from the mainyard and manipulated by four men,—one to handle the bucket, two on the guy lines to force it down by means of the pole, and the fourth to hoist and lower.
This oil often amounted to as much as thirty barrels of liquid spermaceti, which had only to be headed up without further treatment.
To this day there has been found no equal to this oil for the lubricating of watches and fine machinery.
Bailing the Case