THE SPERMACETI WHALE. 157 



were, or bend, towards the left ; it is asserted also that 

 the left eye is smaller and more limited in visual range 

 than the right, on which account the sailors endeavour 

 to attack it on its left. Mr. Bennett makes no allusion 

 to this circumstance, but merely observes that, if boats 

 are not brought within the line of vision, the animal may 

 be aj)proached with great facility, the sense of hearing 

 being very imperfect; "a deficiency, however, which 

 appears to be in some measure compensated for by the 

 perfection in which it possesses the sense of touch, through 

 the medium of a smooth skin abundantly supplied with 

 nervous papillae. It even ap])ears as though the cachalots 

 had the means of conveying impressions to one another 

 through the water, at considerable distances ; for it is a 

 fact well known to the southern whalers, that, upon a 

 cachalot being struck from a boat, others that are miles 

 distant will almost instantaneously display by their actions 

 an apparent consciousness of what has occurred, and either 

 take themselves otfor come down to the aid of their 

 injured companion." This intelligence he su])poses can 

 only be connnunicated by a concussion of the water. 



We have said that the cachalot roarns all seas ; it 

 appears, however, to be more scarce in the arctic latitudes 

 than formerly, but is abundant in the Southern Ocean, 

 and within the regions of the antarctic circle. Ac- 

 cording to Colnett, the neighbourhood of the Galapagos 

 constitutes a sort of rendezvous in spring for all the 

 cachalots frequenting the coasts of Mexico, Peru, and 

 the (iulf of Panama. 



We have several instances on record of this animal 

 having been captured on our own coast, and on that of 

 the adjacent continent; it has been seen in the Medi- 

 terranean, off the Southern shores of Europe, as well as 

 off the shores of Southern Africa, and in the channel of 

 JMozambique. 



In 1769 a cachalot was killed in the Frith of Forth, 

 and one was seen off the Kentish coast. In 1774 a large 

 one was stranded on the coast of Norfolk ; some few 

 years since a small one was captured in the Tiiames near 

 Gravesend. In 1784 thirty-two cachalots ran aground 



H 3 



