Description

Hand-colored engraving depicting the process of skinning a whale at sea, with a sandy shore in the foreground and the whale lashed up to a ship. In the backround harpooneers on a boat make to harpoon another whale, which is spouting. The key elements of the scene are all assigned labels. At the top of the image is the text,

"Dépécement de la baleine, pour servir au voyage vers le Nord, fait pas M. de Pagès Chevalier de l'Ordre Royal et Militaire de St. Louis, Captne. des Vaisseux du ROI, et Correspondant de l'Académie Rle. des Sciences." Below the image, in the margin, is the text, "A.B. Baleine en dépécement, A.C. Moité des Fanons qui composent le palais. D.E. Autre moiete de Fanons détachée. F. Bloc de Fanons que l'on separe les uns des autres. G.G. Fanons detaches. H. Baleine que l'on va harponner."

In English:

"Skinning the whale, to aid a Voyage to the North, carried out by M. de Pages, Knight of the Royal and Military order of St. Louis, Captain of the King's ships, and correspondent of the Royal Academy of Sciences. AB. Whale being skinned. AC. Parts of the whalebone plates which make up the palate. DE. Another piece of the whalebone plates, detached. F. Block of whalebone plates that is being separated into single pieces. GG. Separated whalebone plates. H. Whale that is about to be harpooned."