The late Sir Edward Belcher showed me an Eskimo “flensing knife,” from Icy Cape, hafted in much the same manner.
The ship had for some time been off the western shore of the bay, and several whales had been taken--every one was actively engaged, for when the operation of flensing was not going on, the boats were generally away in chase of their prey.
The animal now being secured alongside, the process of flensing or cutting off the blubber commenced.
We have elucidated this characteristic in a former section, in respect to the flensing of a young whale with extraordinary rapidity, and we now adduce another example of a more incidental nature.
But the most persevering visitors during the operation of flensing were the sailors' little friends the Mollies.
Hence accidents in this kind offlensing are not uncommon.
Flensing in a swell is a most difficult and dangerous undertaking; and when the swell is at all considerable, it is commonly impracticable.
Our flensing knives were one foot long including the handle, the blades were seven inches long by 1¼ inches broad: some were pointed and others round and I do not know which was best.
If you go seal killing you want a big stick, a bayonet, a flensing knife and a steel.
Before the flensing was over, it had commenced to blow and it was quite rough by the time we had finished.
As all this happened beside the ship, we were saved the usual tedious tow, and in an hour flensing was commenced.
There was more life on deck at the "making off" than there was at the flensingand every one was busy.
When the flensing was over, every one was tired, and the men were ordered to turn in, excepting the lookout, all having been busy during the day.
The flensing began just as soon as the crew had food and was not finished until bedtime.
Flensing a fish is a very cheerful occupation and the ship is certainly oily, but there is no unpleasant smell.
The mate of a ship is a busy man, but the mate of our whaler flensing was, I think, the busiest person I ever saw.
We were alongside by midday, and after dinner, flensing commenced.
After having something to eat, flensing was the order of the day, our cheerful crew singing with great spirit to the orders "Heave away capstan" and "Heave away windlass.
Now, we had a fish on each side, and as soon as the crew had refreshed themselves with supper, the work of flensing started with a will.
Illustration: 0264] The busy part of a whaler during flensing is the deck between the main mast and foremast.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "flensing" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
