The Bow Harpoon Gun

In this model of the bow of a whale catcher,
the gunner stands ready to fire the harpoon gun. The gunner was also the skipper
of the ship. A good gunner/skipper was in great demand and could command a very
high salary.

This is the rubber plug which was rammed down
the barrel of the harpoon gun after it had been charged. The tightly fitting
plug kept the sea water from dampening the charge.