64 SPERM WHALES. 



progress, had swept the surrounding waters of 

 their passive, or feeble denizens, and had borne 

 them thus far in a dense and confused mass. 

 Rising and falling with the swell, and its white 

 hue conspicuous above the blue surface of a 

 calm sea, it had much the appearance of surf, 

 and if it had been seen only in the distance by 

 a passing ship, might have added a " suspected 

 shoal" to our charts. 



On the same day we noticed many kinds of 

 cetaceans, including a school of Sperm Whales, 

 which our boats pursued with success. As we 

 sailed to the westward, also, in the parallel of 

 3 J S. lat., Cachalots were frequently observed ; 

 and the produce of several was added to our 

 cargo. They were for the most part shy and 

 mischievous, and were seldom destroyed without 

 some injury to the boats. From a school, at- 

 tacked by our boats in long. 158E., four whales 

 were obtained ; three of these were adult females, 

 whilst the fourth, a male calf, the offspring of 

 one of the former, did not exceed sixteen feet in 

 length, and produced but three barrels of oil. 



June 13. Tench's Island bore S. W., distant 

 seven miles. This is a low and small island, (not 

 exceeding three miles in circumference,) mar- 

 gined by a sandy beach, well wooded, and indeed 



