EFFECTS OF REFRACTION. 7l 



eighteen miles in breadth, bounded on either 

 side by the islands Fulo Pisang, Lawn, the 

 Button, Kekik, and Pulo Gasses. 



When in Pitt's Passage, with the islands Go- 

 mona and Oby-major in sight, a large body of 

 Sperm Whales was seen moving quickly. Our 

 boats pursued them, and, when close in with 

 the shores of Oby-major, succeeded in killing 

 a male Cachalot, of the largest size. The first 

 boat that fastened had its entire line taken out ; 

 the second was more successful; and by the 

 united efforts of all the boats, the whale was at 

 length despatched and brought to the ship. 

 When in his " flurry," the creature descended, 

 and died beneath the surface of the sea, so that 

 it required the combined exertions of all the 

 boats' crews to raise the carcase from the depth 

 of forty fathoms ; but when this was effected, it 

 floated buoyantly. Some extraordinary effects of 

 refraction had been often visible to us since we en- 

 tered this Archipelago, but were never so strongly 

 marked as on the present occasion : the boats, 

 floating on a calm sea, at a distance from the 

 ship, were magnified to a great size ; the crew, 

 standing up in them, appeared as masts or trees, 

 and their arms, in motion, as the wings of wind- 

 mills ; while the surrounding islands (especially 

 at their low and tapered extremities,) seemed 



