DOLPHINS, PORPOISES 



is likely to fall, or dogging one particular fish till he has 

 thoroughly tired it out. In leaping or springing he closely 

 resembles the salmon, curving his tail round as far as he 

 can, and then " letting himself go." 



The special hunting-ground for these creatures is on 

 the east coast of Stromo, one of the Faroe Islands. Here, 

 from July to December, the dolphins come into shallow 

 water; you may almost say that they lie about on the 

 shore. Usually they come in detachments of from three 

 to four hundred, under the guidance of a few old males. 

 The islanders are strangely lethargic over their fishing, 

 considering that they are of Norwegian descent ; they 

 sadly neglect their opportunities with the cod and other 

 fish, and few of them will pursue the dolphin except when 

 the work is thus made easy for them. Then bands of 

 men armed with clubs, spears, or axes go down to the 

 beach before daylight, and lie in wait behind the rocks 

 till dawn, when the animals begin to come in to shore. 



At a signal whistle, every one springs out and lays 

 about him vigorously. It is tame work, for the poor 

 creatures are far too much surprised and terrified to offer 

 resistance, and those that cannot flee are soon killed. 

 Then the women and children come down and, with the 

 men, haul the carcasses on to the higher ground where 

 they cut them up. The " train-oil " from them is taken 

 away by the steamers that call periodically at Thorshavn. 

 It may not be generally known that there are two or 

 three species of fresh-water dolphins, by which I do not, 

 of course, mean such as may sometimes swim up the 

 rivers from the sea in search of food, or for other reason, 



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