150 MAMMALS OF BERMUDA. 



our party bad the whale taken his leap one minute sooner, for he would 

 then have fallen plnmi) on the boat. The waves caused by the splash 

 of the monster spread over half the anchorage, nor, if the Leander her- 

 self had blown up, could the eflect have extended much further." 



Scoresby, in his interesting work on the Arctic Whale Fishery, corrob- 

 orates this curious habit, so that there can be no doubt of its being an 

 indisputable fact. 



This whale appears to have been the victim of assault from the Sword- 

 fish {Xiphias gladins) and Thresher {Alo])ias vidpes) in days of yore, as 

 as we glean from the pages of an old w^riter on the Bermudas.* 



"I forbeare to speake what a sorte of whales wee have scene hard 

 aboaed the shoare followed sometime by the Sword Fish and the Thresher, 

 the sport whereof was not unpleasant. The sword-fish, with his sharpe 

 and needle finne pricking him into the belly when he would sinke and 

 fall into the sea; and when hee startled vpward from his wounds, the 

 Thresher with his large Fins (like Flayles) beating him aboue water. 

 The example whereof giues vs (saith Ouiedus) to vnderstand, that in 

 the selfe same perile and danger doe men liue in this mortall life, where- 

 in is no certaine security neither in high estate nor low." 



And this account is borne out by a further statement to the same 

 effect, made by another eye-witness about the same date. 



''Whales there are in great store at that time of the yeare when they 

 come in, which time of their comming is in Februarie and tarry till 

 June. Likewise there commeth in two other fishes with them, but such 

 as the whale had rather bee without there companie; one is called a 

 Sword-fish, the other a Threasher; the sword-fish swimmes vnder the 

 whale and pricketh him vpward; the Threasher keepeth aboue him, and 

 with a mightye great thing like vnto a flayle hee so bangeth the whale, 

 that he will roare as thongh it thundered, and doth giue him such blowes 

 with his weapon that you would thinke it to be a cracke of great shot." 



The Eight Whale will sometime become playful with its young, toss- 

 ing it out of water time after time, and it is a somewhat curious fact 

 that they are more prone to indulge in this i)astime during bright moon- 

 light nights, coming close in near the edge of the reefs on the south 

 side of the island and exhibiting their exploits within full view of i>er- 

 sons on shore. 



*"Purcha8 His Pilgrimes," vol. iv, London, 1625. Tlio ninth book, chap, vi: "A 

 true repertory of the wracko, and redemption of Sir Thomaa Gates, Knight; vpou, 

 and from the Islands of the Bermudas: his comming to Virginia, and the estate of 

 that Colonie then, and after, vnder the goucrnment of the Lord La Warre, July 15, 

 lOlC. Written hy William Stuachy, Esquire." 



