250 THE OCEAN. 



tortions arise from battles between old "bull whales;" 

 they rush upon each other with great fury, their 

 mouths wide open, each endeavouring to seize his 

 adversary by the lower jaw. In this manner they 

 often become locked together by the jaws, and then 

 struggling with all their gigantic power, the contest 

 frequently terminates in the dislocation or fracture 

 of the jaw. The teeth are not used for chewing, the 

 prey being swallowed entire. 



In the chase and capture of this immense creature, 

 as might be expected from the peculiarities of its 

 habits, there are several circumstances that distin- 

 guish it from the Greenland whale-fishery, while, 

 at the same time, there is a general resemblance. 

 Ships of three or four hundred tons are selected 

 for the voyage, strongly built, manned with a crew 

 of about thirty hands, and provisioned for four years. 

 A watch is stationed aloft immediately on leaving the 

 Channel, although the Sperm Whale is rarely seen in 

 the Atlantic north of the equator. The look-out on 

 the mast-head is never interrupted during the voyage, 

 or until the cargo is completed, the men on this duty 

 being relieved in succession. On a Sperm Whale 

 being perceived, the intelligence is communicated by 

 the watch calling out aloud in a peculiar tone, "There 

 she spouts!" a cry which fails not to produce a gene- 

 ral rush on deck of all hands. The captain eagerly 

 asks, "Whereaway?" The position of the prey is 

 pointed out, while at every fresh spouting the watch, 

 accompanied by every individual on board who has 

 caught sight of the object, vociferates, "There again!" 

 When the spoutings are out, and the Whale descends, 



