THE ANIMALS OF THE ISLANDS 195 



A large number of whales are constantly around the 

 islands, the California gray being the most in evidence. 

 Its bone is so small, and its temper when struck so 

 uncertain, that the old whaling stations have gradu- 

 ally been given up. The sulphur-bottom is also seen, 

 and one or two others. It is not uncommon in cross- 

 ing the channel to see one or more whales, and they 

 at times approach the vessel and swim alongside. 



A few years ago Captain Trefathom sighted a large 

 school of whales off Avalon. For many days they 

 remained in about one spot so that people took the 

 trip to see the whale convention. So tame are the 

 whales here that not a few have been struck and killed; 

 and in iQtig a monster basking shark was injured by a 

 steamer and towed into Avalon by Captain George 

 Michaelis. 



The following is related by a sailor man about 

 Aleck Smith, one of the old captains of the Banning 

 steamers; and as he repeated it to me I can give it as 

 a fact: 



"Aleck Smith was once owner of a Uttle fishing- 

 schooner; one day the whales took to it and badly 

 frightened some of his men. I don't reckon it pleased 

 Aleck much. He was caught in a dead calm off the 

 head here, when all at once about half a dozen whales 

 come up alongside, as sociable as you please. One, 

 nearly seventy feet long, thought he would give Aleck 

 a ride, so he bumped up amidships and lifted the 

 schooner about a foot, so that everybody shd into 

 the port scuppers as if they were skating. Then the 

 whales got under the stern, and the vessel pitched; 

 then all the whales got around her and spouted. 'A 

 little breeze finally sprung up, and the schooner got 



