The Whale Fishery. 



PREFACE. 



In the following pages, the Author has endeavoured to describe, 

 "with some minuteness of detail, a few of the many objects of in- 

 terest more or less directly connected with the Sea, and especially 

 to lead youthful readers to associate with the phenomena of Nature, 

 habitual thoughts of God. A subject so vast as the Ocean might 

 be viewed in a variety of aspects, all of them more or less instruc- 

 tive : the one which has been chosen is that in which it presents 

 itself to the mind of a naturalist, desirous of viewing the Almighty 

 Creator in His works. The selections are made chiefly from marine 

 botany, zoology, meteorology, the fisheries, the varying aspects of 

 island and coast scenery, incidents of navigation, &c, arranged (if 

 such a word be not inapplicable) in the order of geographical 

 distribution; as they might be supposed to present themselves to 

 the notice of an observant voyager. 



It may be thought that the Author has touched too frequently, or 

 dwelt with too great prolixity, on objects minute in themselves, and 



a 2 (5) 



