Whales as the Whalers Knew Them 187 



small but it has no external opening, being cov- 

 ered with a membrane. 



To go on with the mysterious and unexplained 

 characteristics of whales: 



"Another peculiarity of the whale," says Davis, 

 "is the 'glip.' When the sperm whale is alarmed 

 or alert against pursuit, it emits, on going down 

 for a run beneath the surface, a portion of oil or 

 its equivalent, which, for a considerable period 

 of time, causes a smooth, bright surface upon 

 the water. This is termed the glip or wake. 

 The mystery of the glip is in a real or supposed 

 communication between this smooth spot and 

 the whale making it. Should the boatheader 

 incautiously pull his boat into this glip or cross 

 the line between the whale and his glip, the effect 

 will be to gallie the animal." 



James Templeman Brown, who contributed 

 a large portion of the matter found in Goode's 

 The Whale Fishery, after quoting the above 

 from Davis, says : 



"This is maintained and substantiated by 

 whalemen generally." He also says (p. 261) 

 that the right whale possesses a similar power: 



