BLACKFISHES AND GRAMPUSES. 13 



plentiful in August. Before, 1874 tliey had never been seen before July. In July, 1875, a school 

 of 120 came, ashore at North Dennis. Those taken in the fall are usually the fattest. 



CAPTURE OP BLACKFISII. Many years ago several Cape Cod whalers made a business of 

 pursuing the Blackfish on the whaling grounds east of the Grand Bank. This enterprise, described 

 in the chapter on the whale fishery, has been abandoned, but it is not uncommon for ordinary 

 whalemen to kill them from their boats to obtain supplies of fresh meat, and of oil to burn on 

 shipboard. That the flesh is not unpalatable the writer maintains, and can summon as witnesses 

 a number of persons who tasted one at the Smithsonian Institution in 1874. There is a fishery 

 for them at tlfe Faroe Islands, and in the Pacific, says Scammon, small vessels are occasionally 

 fitted out for their capture. "Sperm whalers," he writes, ''do not lower their boats for Blackfish 

 when on Sperm Whale ground, unless the day is far spent and there is little prospect of 'seeing 

 whales.' The northern polar or whale-ships pay but little attention to them, except, perhaps, when 

 passing the time 'between seasons,' cruising within or about the tropics." 



USEFUL PRODUCTS. The yield of oil from a Blackfish varies, according to the size and fatness 

 of the animal, from ten gallons to ten barrels. This is dark in color, and is classed with the 

 ordinary "body oil" or " whale oil." The blubber varies from one to four inches in thickness, and 

 is nearly white. The jaws yield a fine quality of machine oil, known as " porpoise jaw-oil", of which 

 however, a limited quantity suffices to supply the market. The value of a stranded Blackfish in 

 Cape Cod varies from $5 to $40. 



As is related elsewhere, Blackfish are often taken by whaling vessels when on a cruise, to 

 obtain oil for burning and a supply o'f fresh meat. The brains are made by the ship's cook into 

 "dainty cakes," as the whalemen call them, and the livers are said to be delicate and appetizing. 1 



Blackfish are harpooned by the Grand Bank cod-fishermen to be cut up and used for bait. 



3. THE GRAMPUSES OR COWFISHES. 



DISTRIBUTION. Associated with the Blackfish on our east coast, though not so common, and 

 rarely stranded, is the Cowfish, Grampus griseus (Lesson) Gray, also found in Europe, south to 

 the British channel or farther, and there known as the "Grampus." 



COLOR AND SIZE. Its slate-colored sides are curiously variegated vdth white markings, very 

 irregular in size, shape and direction, evidently the results of accidental scratches in the epidermis. 



'1G35, July 25 (on the Newfoundland Banks). On Friday, in the evening, we had an hour or two of marvel- 

 lous delightful recreation, which also was a feast unto us for many days after, while we fed upon the flesh of three 

 huge porpoises, like to as many fat hogs, striked by our seamen, and hauled with ropes into the ship. The flesh of 

 them was good meat, with salt, pepper and vinegar ; the fat, like fat bacon, (ho lean like bull-beef; and on Saturday 

 evening they took another also. Richard Mather's Journal. Young's Chronicles of the First Planters of Mass. Bay 

 Colony. Boston, 1846,' p. 406. 



I cannot refrain from quoting the following passage from the journal of the Rev. Richard Mather, one of the 

 earliest of the Massachusetts colonists: 



" 1G35, June 27, 28. The first Sabbath from Milford Haven, and the sixth on shipboard ; a fair, cool day ; wind 

 northerly, good for our purpose. I was exercised in the forenoon, and Mr. Maud in the afternoon. This evening we 

 saw Porpoises about the ship, and some would faiu have been striking, but others dissuaded because of the Sabbath : 

 and so it was let alone. 



"Monday morning, wind still northerly ; a fair, cool day. This momiug, about seven of tbc cluck, om- sraincn 

 struck a great Porpoise, and hauled it with ropes into the ship ; for bigness, not much less than a hog of 'jn or 'J."> shil- 

 lings apiece, and not much unlike for shape, with flesh fat and lean, like in color to the fat and Iran <>f a hog; and 

 being opened upon the deck, had within his entrails, as liver, lights, heart, guts, &<-., for all the world like a swine. 

 The seeing of him hauled into the ship, like a swine from the sty to the trestle, and opened upon the deck in view of 

 all our company, was wonderful to us all, and marvellous mi Try sport, and delight ful to our women and children. So 

 good was our God unto us, in affording us the day before spiritual refreshing to our souls and this day morning also 

 delightful recreation to our bodies, at the taking and opening of this huge and sliange fish," Young's Chronicles of 

 the First Planters of Mass. Bay Colony. Boston, 184C, p. 460. 



