CHAPTER XXIII. 



Northern Whales and Whaling. 



an exciting vocation — harpooning a whale — the appearance 

 and habits of the whale — the swivel harpoon-gun — the 

 man in the crow's nest — "a fall!" — a " flurry " — in- 

 cidents of whaling — value of our northern waters. 



' 



i ROPERLY speaking, the northern whales are not fishes, but 

 animals, though thoroughly aquatic. They live entirely in 



jl the water and obtain their livelihood there ; hence their 

 entire structure is fitted for the seas only ; and when they 

 are unfortunately cast upon shoals, they cannot of their own 

 power re-enter the water, but perish from starvation. 



They are forced to rise to the surface of the water to breathe, which 

 is called " spouting," because a column of mixed vapour and water is 



ejected from the "blow-holes," rising above 

 the surface of the water for more than 

 twenty feet. The limbs are simply unde- 

 veloped legs, suited to aquatic locomotion ; 

 but their chief use s§ems to be to keep 

 their immense bodies in position and in 

 caring for their young, as the propelling 

 power is located altogether in the tail. 

 The whale — and I speak exclusively of the northern whale — is, 

 when fully grown, about seventy feet long, and will girth about 

 thirty-five or forty feet. Its colour is velvety-black upon the upper 

 half of its body, as also are its fins and tail, but its belly and lower 

 part of its jaw are nearly white. The sleek, shiny appearance of 

 its body is due to the oil which is constantly emitted through the 

 pores of the skin. The skin is threefold ; the inner, or true skin, 



A BLACK WHALK. 



