THE NARWAL. 91 



pierced with the born, and killed before they were 

 swallowed by the narwal, as it is otherwise very 

 difficult to conceive how an animal so large as the 

 skate, would allow itself to be sucked down the 

 throat of a smooth-mouthed animal, having no 

 means of crushing or detaining it. 



The narwal is a harmless animal, of an active 

 disposition, and swims with considerable swiftness. 

 When at the surface, for the sake of respiring, these 

 animals frequently lie motionless for several mi- 

 nutes, with their heads and backs just appearing 

 above water. Occasionally, numerous small herds 

 are seen together, each herd generally consisting of 

 individuals of the same sex. 



The narwal is sometimes shot with a rifle, kept 

 for that purpose in the crow's-nest of the whaling- 

 ships. When harpooned, the narwal dives as 

 swiftly, but not so deeply as the common whale. It 

 commonly descends about two hundred fathoms, 

 and then returns to the surface, where it is soon 

 killed with lances. 



The whole body of the narwal is covered by a 

 layer of blubber immediately beneath the skin, 

 which is from two to three inches thick, and yields 

 a considerable quantity of fine oil. The Green- 

 landers and Esquimaux employ the whole animal to 

 various uses. The flesh is eaten, the oil burned 

 in their lamps, the intestines wrought into lines and 

 dresses, and the tusks are used for spears &c. It 



