160 THE SPERMACETI WHALE. 



it passes tranquilly along just below the surface of 

 the water, at the rate of about three or four miles 

 an hour, its progress being effected by a gentle oblique 

 motion of the tail from side to side : when proceed- 

 ing at its usual rate, the body lies horizontally, the 

 water by its progress being somewhat disturbed, is 

 known by the whalers under the name of " white 

 water ;" and, from its greater or less appearance, an 

 experienced eye can, from the distance of several 

 miles, judge of the rate at which the whale is ad- 

 vancing : in this mode of swimming it is able to 

 obtain a velocity of about seven miles an hour. 

 Wlien it swims at a more rapid rate, the action of the 

 tail is altered ; the water is struck directly upwards 

 and do^\Ti wards, and each time the blow is made "with 

 the inferior surface, the head sinks down eight or 

 ten feet, and when the blow is reversed, it rises out 

 of the water, presenting to it only the sharp cut- 

 water portion. The blow Avith the upper surface 

 appears to be by far the most powerful, and as, at 

 the same time, the resistance of the broad part of 

 the head is removed, this appears to be the principal 

 means of rapid progression. This mode of sum- 

 ming (see Plate rx.) is what is called going head 

 (yut; and in this way the whale can attain a speed 

 of ten or twelve miles an hour, which is probably 

 its greatest velocity. 



According to Beale, the food of the Sperm Whale, 

 when in deep seas, which he regards its usual resort, 

 is the sepia octapus^ a molluscous animal, called 

 *' squ%$* by the sailors ; and when near shore, a fish 



