162 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA. 



They were cut into pieces and carried to the royal 

 kitchens. Edward II. rewarded three sailors with 

 twenty shillings for bringing a whale to the port 

 of London. Whales caught on the banks of the 

 Thames belonged to the Lord Mayor, and added by 

 their appearance at table to the magnificence of the 

 civic banquet. 



In the thirteenth century, whale's flesh was pur- 

 chased for the table of the Countess of Leicester. 

 England was then provided with this much-prized 

 comestible by the Norman fishermen, to Avhom the 

 whale was an important article of commerce. The 

 Normans had a variety of recipes for cooking 

 whale's flesh. Sometimes they roasted it ; but more 

 commonly it was boiled, and served with peas. I am 

 inclined to think that a modern cook of reputation 

 would hesitate to serve fillets of whale roasted or 

 with sauce, and I am certainly of opinion that 

 very few epicures could be found to eat them. 



X.-THE MONSTERS OF THE ATLANTIC. 



I WAS on a journey to Cuba on board a sailing 

 vessel which had been towed into the gulf of 

 Mexico, near the mouths of the Mississippi. The 

 wind had lulled, and it was a dead calm. The sea 



