that are asleep, who instantly let fall their other four boats, which hang on the tackles, two at each side, ready to let go at a minute's warning, all furnished alike with six men each, harping irons, lances, lines, &c. Two or three of these boats row to the place where the fish may be expected to come up again; the other to assist the boat that first struck the Whale, with line; for the fish will sometimes run out two or three boats' lines, all fastened to each other; for when the lines of the first boat are almost run out, they throw the end to the second, to be fastened to theirs, and then follow the other boats in pursuit of the Whale; and so likewise does the second boat, when their lines are run out.

A Whale, when he is first struck, will run out above a hundred fathoms of line, before the harponeer is able to take a turn round the boat's stem; and with such swiftness, that a man stands ready to quench it, if it should take fire, which it frequently does. There was a boat lately to be seen in the South Sea dock at Deptford, the head of which was sawed off by the swiftness of the line running out. Sometimes the Whale is killed on the spot, without sinking down at all. The harping iron would but little avail to the destruction of this animal; but part of the rowers, either at the first onset, or when, in order to fetch his breath, he discovers himself to view, throwing aside their oars, and taking up their very sharp lances, thrust them into his body, till they see him spurt the blood through the blower; the sight of which is a joyful sign of the creature's being mortally wounded. The fishermen, upon the killing of a Whale, are each entitled to some small reward. After the Whale is killed, they cut all the lines that are fastened to it, and the tail off; then it instantly turns on its back; so they tow it to the ship, where they fasten ropes

to keep it from sinking; and when it is cold, begin to cut it up.

The body of a Whale is frequently found to be eighteen or twenty inches thick of fat; and yields fifty or sixty puncheons of oil, each puncheon containing seventy-four gallons; and about twelve hundred pieces of whalebone, most of which are about fifteen feet long and twelve inches broad; the whole produce of a Whale being worth one thousand pounds, sometimes more or less, according to the goodness of the fish. Whilst the men are at work on the back of the fish, they have spurs on their boots, with two prongs, which come down on each side of their feet, lest they should slip, the back of the Whale being very slippery. These ships have orders to quit those seas by the 24th of June, for then the fish begin to be very mischievous.

When the Whale feeds, it swims with considerable velocity below the surface of the sea, with its jaws widely extended. A stream of water consequently enters its capacious mouth, and, along with it, immense quantities of cuttle-fish, sea-blubber, shrimps, and other small marine animals. The water escapes at the sides; but the food is entangled, and, as it were, sifted by the whalebone within the mouth.

While swimming, it is not easy to distinguish the male from the female, unless from this, that the latter is bigger than the former. The female has teats, and suckles her young after the manner of land animals. The Triton, one of our South Sea Company's ships, killed a female Whale; and whilst they were cutting her up alongside, a young one swam about the ship, and would not forsake the dam, till at length the commodore ordered the boat to go out and kill it, which they did, and it produced four puncheons of oil, &c. There is a small fish called Lodd by the

whale-catchers, of which, if the Whales devour any large numbers, they become as it were drunk; and, transported with rage and fury, exercise outrages against whatever comes in their way: but they are naturally inoffensive; and yet they have many foes, the most dreaded of which is the sword-fish. This animal is sufficiently active to evade the blows which its tremendous adversary makes with his tail, his only weapon; one of which, if it took place, must effectually destroy it. The sea, for a considerable space around, may be seen dyed with the blood, that issues in copious streams from the wounds made in the Whale's body by the dreadful beak of his adversary. The noise made by each blow of the tail is said to be louder than that of a cannon. The fishermen, in calm weather, frequently lie on their oars as spectators of the combat, till they perceive the Whale at his last gasp; they then row towards him, and, the enemy retiring at their approach, they enjoy the fruits of his victory.

BELONGS to that kind which has teeth in the lower jaw only. The drug called spermaceti is extracted from its large head.

According to the relations of navigators, the Whale

produces one or two cubs at a time, which she suckles with her teats, for the whole space of one year. At the moment of their birth the young are about ten feet in length, and follow the dam as calves do the cow; but when she is in fear, and flees from danger, she grasps her cubs within her fins, and plunges with astonishing velocity to the most profound regions of the deep, where, secure from the attack of man, she enjoys the pleasures of maternal love; no animals appearing more fond of their offspring than the Whales.

The oil produced from the Spermaceti Whale is not in such large quantity as that produced from some of the other species; but, in quality, it is far preferable, since it yields a bright flame, without at the same time exhaling any nauseous smell. The substance known by the name of ambergris is produced from the body of this animal. It is generally found in the stomach, but sometimes in the intestines; and, in a commercial point of view, is a highly valuable production.

When we reflect, that the same Power, whose will has formed the immense bulk of this marine monster, has also given animation, senses, and passions to the smallest of the microscopic animalcules, how lowered must be the pride of man, who, standing in the middle, and nearly at equal distance from both, is yet unable to comprehend the mechanism which puts them in motion, and much less that intelligence and power which has given them life, and has assigned to them their respective stations in the universe! Let us then exclaim, with astonishment and gratitude, with the psalmist : "O Lord, how inscrutable are thy ways, how magnificent thy works!"

THE SHARK.

THERE are several species of this monster, for his boldness and voracity may allow us to style him so. The most audacious of this destructive tribe of the sea-fish is called the White Shark. He represents the vulture, as the whale does the eagle, among the inhabitants of the deep. Like the whale, he is viviparous, but differs from that marine wonder in bulk and in habits. The whale's chief food consists of crabs and medusæ ; the Shark lives entirely upon fish or flesh: and it is reported, that when he has once tasted of the flesh of a human being, nothing can make him desist from his pursuit after the vessels, which he suspects to contain the delicate food he seeks after. The White Shark is sometimes found weighing near four thousand pounds. The throat is often large enough to swallow a man; and a human body has sometimes been found entire in the stomach of this tremendous animal. He is furnished with six rows of sharp triangular teeth,