A Mighty Visitor 6 1 



surface, there was a sound like a million sighs rolled 

 into one, and a column of vapour rose in ghostly fashion 

 against the deep violet of the sky. Then, though my 

 heart still thumped violently, I recognised a whale 

 and was somewhat comforted. 



Still I had my doubts of his intentions ; he was far 

 too near, about four feet from our side, to be pleasant 

 company. What if he should suddenly object to our 

 presence there and assault us furiously ? And I 

 thought, with the cold fear curdling my young blood, 

 of the awful depths beneath us, separated from us 

 only by two or three inches of soft pine plank. I did 

 not know then how sociable and good-natured is the 

 'Finback,' one of the best known of the great Rorqual 

 family, one also who, like the sperm whale, but with 

 even a greater range, may be found in nearly all the 

 navigable seas of the world. For some few minutes 

 after rising he lay leisurely by the ship's side appar- 

 ently considering her appearance and occasionally 

 spouting softly. Then he slowly settled down, and 

 presently the whole ship vibrated as if grating over 

 rocks, but with far less violence. And peering over 

 one side from the main yard-arm I saw the halo round 

 our visitor glowing beneath our keel, and realised that 

 he was rubbing himself against us, as cattle rub against 

 a fence. The calm lasted with brief intervals of light 

 airs from all quarters for four days, during the whole 

 of which our visitor never left us. Fasting too, as far 

 as we could see, although it is hardly safe to say that 

 nothing entered that capacious throat of his, because 

 we could not see it. But we had splendid opportunity 

 for observing his every movement, the exercise of all 

 his powers, as closely as if he had been cased in an 

 aquarium and we just standing peering through the 

 glass. 



