Boats on the bran: June 18-19th, 1811

By Tuesday, the Resolution had a great deal of blubber on board that was not yet stowed in the hold. So much so that getting around the ship was becoming difficult. Nevertheless, another whale was killed in the early hours of the morning. All around, whale ships were busy flinching whales, and taking the blubber on board. There were so many ships in the vicinity that Scoresby kept two boats in the water or ‘in the bran’ and ready to go. On Wednesday the 19th, something had to be done about the mountain of blubber on board, and the ship was moored to a floe so that the hatches and ‘flinch gut‘ could be cleared, and the catch stowed away. While this was going on, the captain of the Fountain joined Scoresby for breakfast. Although he had taken 17 whales, which would yield around 120 tons of oil, the Fountain‘s rudder had been smashed, and later her hull stove in. Captain Barton also complained of “a discontented disrespectful crew.” Scoresby reports:

Many ships in sight 25 sail. Chiefly fishing.