WHALE FISHERY OF NEW ENGLAND 43 



catch and repeats until satiated. Another difference between the 

 sperm and the right whale is that the latter has two spout holes instead 

 of one. 



The sperm whale is found in the warm waters off the coasts of Chili, 

 Peru, Japan, New Zealand, Madagascar, California, and Brazil; in the 

 Caribbean, China, and Red Seas, in the Indian Ocean and .Persian 

 Gulf; off the Azores, Java, Galapagos, Society, Sandwich, Fiji, and 

 Samoan Islands; and off the Cape de Verdes. The right whale is found 

 in the high latitudes of the Arctic Ocean, in Baffin's Bay, in the Ochotsk 

 Sea, near Tristan d'Acunha and the Desolation Islands, and in the 

 Japan Sea. There were many other cruising grounds, but these were 

 the most frequented. 



The finback is even longer than the other varieties, but whalers 

 rarely attack it owing to the thickness of the blubber and also owing 

 to the fact that it swims so fast that, to use a favorite expression of 

 whalemen, it "will run the nails out of the bottom of the boat." 



The "narwhal," or nostril whale, has a horn five to ten feet long 

 protruding forward from its jaw. This species is also spoken of as the 

 "Unicorn." Opinions differ as to the use of this horn; some think it is 

 used as a rake to turn over its food at the bottom of the sea, others 

 think it is employed as an ice-piercer, but the author of "Moby Dick" 

 suggests that it would make an exceedingly good folder for it to use in 

 reading pamphlets. In ancient times this narwhal's tusk was used to 

 detect poison in food and wine, the idea being prevalent that the tusk 

 would be discolored if it came in contact with any poisonous substance. 

 It is difficult in the present day to appreciate the wholesale fear of poison 

 which existed up to quite modern times. This fear was so general and 

 pressing that no one of any position dared to eat and drink without a 

 previous assurance that what was set before him did not contain some 

 poison. Some authorities vouch for the fact that the tusk was also 

 used as salts for fainting women. 



The chief products of the fishery are sperm and whale oil, whalebone, 

 and ambergris. Spermaceti, meaning a foot of "sperm oil," was the 

 most valuable and was found only in the sperm whale. This oil was 

 formerly used chiefly in the manufacture of sperm candles, and at one 

 time there were eight factories for the manufacture of these candles in 

 New England, Nantucket alone turning out three hundred and eighty 

 tons annually before the war. In the olden times this oil was con- 

 sidered a sure cure for almost any kind of disease and was worth its 

 weight in silver. Shakespeare makes reference to it in these words 

 "The sovereign'st thing on earth was 'parmaceti for an inward bruise." 

 At present it is used chiefly in making refined oils for lubricating. 



Whale oil was procured from all the other varieties of whales, and 

 was formerly used as an illuminant in the old "whale oil" lamps; it is 

 used now to a certain extent in the tanning of leather and in the manu- 

 facture of soaps, but chiefly in making heavy lubricating oils. 



Whalebone has been the most important product of the whale fishery 

 for a number of years, and in fact whaling would undoubtedly have 



