THE DEDUCTOR, OR CA*ING WHALE. 217 



Spikes, halberts, spits, and darts that wound so far ; 

 The tools of peace, the implements of war. 

 Now was the time for vigorous lads to show 

 What love or honour could invite them to : 

 A goodly theatre ! where rocks are round 

 With rever'nd age, and lovely lasses, crowned. 



Battle of the Summer Isles. 



It would be interesting to ascertain from what 

 mental peculiarity it springs that this animal is so 

 frequently stranded, so easily hunted, and so readily 

 made a prey to the convenience or cupidity of man. 

 It can scarcely, as has been alleged, be the result of 

 their stupidity, by which they lose their way, and 

 do not know the difference between land and water 

 We have seen enough to demonstrate that they are 

 most sociable in their habits; and we may now re- 

 mark, that they seem moreover to be endowed with 

 an interesting instinct, very useful, doubtless, on 

 the whole, whereby they are strongly induced to 

 follow the guidance of the oldest and most expe- 

 rienced of their number. In the words of Dr. Trail, 

 they seem generally to follow one as a leader with 

 blind confidence ; and Dr. Neil remarks, the main 

 body of the drove follows the leading whales, as a 

 flock of sheep follows the wedders. Hence the 

 natives of Shetland well know, that if they are able 

 to guide the leaders, they are sure of likewise en- 

 tangling multitudes of their followers. This trait 

 is strikingly illustrated by a circumstance of which 

 Dr. Trail was a witness. " I once," says he, " was 

 in a boat when an attempt was made to drive a shoal 

 of them ashore; but when they had approached 



