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Chapter 33 The Specs Nider

Concerning the officers of the Whalecraft, this seems as good a place as any to set down

a little domestic peculiarity on shipboard, arising from the existence of the Harpooner

class of officers, a class unknown, of course, in any other marine than the Whale Fleet.

The large importance attached to the Harpooner's vocation is evinced by the fact that originally,

in the old Dutch fishery, two centuries or more ago, the command of a Whale ship was

not wholly lodged in the person now called the Captain, but was divided between him and

an officer called the Specs Nider. Literally, this word means fat cutter. Usage, however,

in time, made it equivalent to Chief Harpooner.

In those days, the Captain's authority was restricted to the navigation and general

management of the vessel, while over the Whale hunting department and all its concerns,

the Specs Nider or Chief Harpooner reign supreme.

In the British Greenland fishery, under the corrupted title of Spec Ciener, this old Dutch

official is still retained, but his former dignity is sadly abridged. At present, he

ranks simply as Senior Harpooner, and as such is but one of the Captain's more inferior

subalterns. Nevertheless, as upon the good conduct of the Harpooners and success of a

...