'294 THE WHALE. 



ceeded the present size ; and that there have been ani- 

 mals in existence twice as large as any elephant that was 

 ever seen. Creatures of such an immense bulk required 

 a proportionable extent of ground for subsistence, and, 

 becoming rivals with men for the possession of their 

 territory, in the contest were most probably slain. 



It is not only upon land that man has exerted his 

 power of destroying, for his influence has extended to 

 the depths of the sea ; and we no longer hear of whales 

 measuring two hundred and fifty feet, though we know 

 that they existed about two centuries ago. The Nor- 

 thern Seas were once the region to which the largest of 

 these animals used to resort; but so great has been their 

 slaughter for the last two ages, that they begin to grow 

 thinner every day ; and those that are now discovered in 

 these places, are allowed to be very much decreased in 

 size. 



The whale generally resorts to those parts of the ocean 

 where there is the least likelihood of their being dis- 

 turbed ; and, near the South Pole, it is still asserted that 

 many are to be found an hundred and sixty feet long. 

 Taking it, however, at the common size of eighty feet in 

 length and twenty in height, it must still appear /an 

 enormous animal, calculated to excite astonishment and 

 surprise ; yet, when compared with the accounts that 

 have been given of the sea-serpent and kraken, they 

 appear but diminutive in our eyes. To believe all that 

 has been said of those animals, would be too credu- 

 lous; and to reject the possibility of their existence, 

 would be a presumption unbecoming to mankind. 



The whale is doubtless the largest animal in creation, 

 of whose history we can give any certain account ; and of 

 this fish there are seven different species, distinguished 

 by their external figure and internal shape. The great 



