Chap. 5.] THE BALJEtfA. 365 



CHAP. 5. (6.) THE BAL2ENA AND THE OBCA. 



The balsena 31 penetrates to our seas even. It is said that 

 they are not to be seen in the ocean of Gades before the winter 

 solstice, and that at periodical seasons they retire and conceal 

 themselves in some calm capacious bay, in which they take a 

 delight in bringing forth. This fact, however, is known to 

 the orea, 32 an animal which is peculiarly hostile to the balaena, 

 and the form of which cannot be in any way adequately de- 

 scribed, but as an enormous mass of flesh armed with teeth. 

 This animal attacks the balaena in its places of retirement, and 

 with its teeth tears its young, or else attacks the females which 

 have just brought forth, and, indeed, while they are still preg- 

 nant ; and as they rush upon them, it pierces them just as though 

 they had been attacked by the beak of a Liburnian 33 galley. 

 The female balaenae, devoid of all flexibility, without energy to 

 defend themselves, and over-burdened by their own weight, 

 weakened, too, by gestation, or else the pains of recent parturi- 

 tion, are well aware that their only resource is to take to flight 



31 As already mentioned, there is considerable doubt what fish of the 

 whale species is meant under this name. Cuvier says, that even at the 

 present day whales are occasionally found in the Mediterranean, and says 

 that there is the head of one in the Museum of Natural History, that was 

 thrown ashore at Martigues. He also observes, that in the year 1829, one 

 had been cast upon the coasts of Languedoc. Ajasson suggests, that not 

 improbably whales once frequented the Mediterranean in great numbers, 

 "but that as commerce increased, they gradually retreated to the open ocean. 



32 Rondelet, B. xvi. c. 13, says that this animal was called "espaular " 

 "by the people of Saintonge. Cuvier is of opinion, also, that it is the same 

 animal, which is also known by the name of " bootskopf," the Delphinus 

 orca of Linnaeus. (See N. 28.) This cetaceous animal, he says, is a mo"st 

 dangerous enemy to the whale, which it boldly attacks, devouring its tongue, 

 which is of a tender quality and enormous size. He thinks, however, that 

 the orca taken at the port of Ostia was no other than a cachelot. 



53 The Liburna, or Liburnica, was usually a bireme, or two-oared* galley, 

 with the mast in the middle, though sometimes of larger bulk. From the 

 description given of these by Varro, as quoted by Aulus Gellius, B. xvii. 

 c. 3, they seem, as it has been remarked, somewhat similar to the light 

 Indian massooliah boats, which are used to cross the serf in Madras roads. 

 Pliny tells us, in B. xvi. c. 17, that the material of which they were con- 

 structed was pine timber, as free from resin as it could possibly be ob- 

 tained. The beak of these vessels was of great comparative weight, and 

 its sharpness is evidently alluded to in the present passage, as also in B. 

 x. c. 32. The term " Liburna" was adopted from the assistance rendered 

 to Augustus by the Liburni at the battle of Actium. 



