TO THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 73- 
one of the tish above mentioned ; but we found that 
they were too wary for us, notwithstanding every art 
was practised for the purpose of getting near them, by 
pulling and sculling after them, and, at other times, 
lying still when they happened to be coming towards 
us. The latter method appeared to promise most 
success ; and if we had had a gun harpoon, I have no 
doubt but we might have succeeded, for they general- 
ly came within thirty or forty yards of us before they 
dived. On coming under the boat, they used to re- 
main for some time apparently viewing our motions ; 
but they took care to keep always at such a depth that 
it was impossible to reach them. The average length 
of these fish was, as near as I could judge, from 
eighteen to twenty feet; their tail was horizontal, 
like the rest of the order (Ce¢e) to which they belong, 
and they had a spiracle in the crown of their head, 
through which they respired in the same manner as 
the common whales do: their colour was, with few 
exceptions, perfectly white; the exceptions were 
two or three that I saw of a dusky hue. 
Whilst we were pursuing them to-day, I noticed a 
circumstance that appeared to me rather extraordi- 
nary at the time, and which I have not indeed been 
able to. account for yet to my satisfaction. The 
thing alluded to, is a sort of whistling noise that 
these fish made when under the surface of the water ; 
it was very audible, and the only sound which I 
could compare it to, is that produced by passing a 
wet finger round the edge, or rim of a glass tumbler. 
It was most distinctly heard when they were coming 
towards the surface of the water, that is, about half 
a minute before they appeared, and immediately after 
they got their head above the water the noise ceased. 
The men were so highly amused by it, that they re- 
