SEAL, SHARK, AND DOG FISHERIES. 355 



cold weather the height of a pike above water; that 

 the (kin of it is white in fummer, and darker in 

 winter, that their hair ftands an end with the flood, 

 and falls again at the ebb. The fkin is by the na- 

 tives cut in long pieces, and then made ufe of inftead 

 of ropes to fix the plow to their horfes when they 

 till the ground. " 



BASKING SHARK. Thefe are fuppofcd to be mi- 

 gratory fifti, from the arctic circle ; they frequent 

 the coaft of Norway, the Orkney and Hcbride ifles, 

 the firth of Clyde, the bay of Ballyfhannon in Ire- 

 land, and the weft coaft of Wales, particularly Car- 

 narvonfhire and Anglefey. They appear in the firth 

 of Clyde, near the ifle of Arran, in fmall fhoals of 

 7 or 8, but more generally in pairs, fome time in 

 June, where they remain till the end of July, when 

 they difappear. 



Though their fize is from 10 to 40 feet in length, 

 they are the moft inorFenfive fifh, and fo tame, or 

 fo ftupid, that they will fuffer themfelves to be 

 ftroked in the water. They generally lie motion- 

 lefs on the furface as if afleep, commonly on their 

 bellies, and fometimes like tired fwimmers on their 

 backs. They fometimes play on the waves, and 

 leap with great agility feveral feet out of the water, 

 They will permit a boat to follow them without 

 accelerating their motion, till it comes within con- 

 tact ; when a harponner ftrikes his weapon into 

 them, as near the gills as pofilble. But they are 

 often fo infenfible, as not to move till the united 

 ftrength of two men hath forced the harpoon deeper. 

 As foon as they perceive themfelves wounded, they 

 fling up their tail and plunge headlong to the bot- 

 tom; and frequently coil the rope round them in 

 their agonies, attempting to difengage the harpoon 

 from them, by rolling on the ground, for it is of- 

 ten found greatly bent. 



As foon as they difcover that their efforts are in 



vain, they fwim away with amazing rapidity, and 



z 2 with 



