116 VOYAGE INTO 



smell the worst, and drive high above the sea water, when 

 others drive even with the water, and some sink. 



The ivhales have, as well as other beasts, their peculiar 

 distempers and ailments, but I can only write of what I 

 know by hear-say. An ancient and experienced harpoonier 

 informed me, that he did once catch a whale that was very 

 feeble, and that all his skin, but chiefly near unto the tail 

 and finns, hung like films, as if they were old rags dragg'd 

 along behind him, and that he was quite lean ; so they made 

 but very little train-oyl of his fat, for the fat was quite white, 

 and light withal as an empty honey-comb. Before a tempest 

 they beat the water, that it doth fly about like unto dust, 

 with their tail ; but they have the greatest strength when 

 they strike sidewards as if they did mow, so that one might 

 think that they were in a great agony and a dying. They 

 are mightily tormented by the lice,^ whereof I have treated 

 more at large above. The wounds that are given unto the 

 loJiale by the harpoons, into the fat, heal up again of their 

 own accord, for the salt water cannot stick on it. Many 

 such jishes are caught that have been struck by others with 

 a harpoon, and are heal'd up again, and so have white scars. 



CHAP. VIII. 



How they Catch the Whale. 



First, it is to be observed, that when it is like to be a good 

 year to catch lohales in, there is many white jish to be seen 

 before ; but where we see many scales, there we do not ex- 

 pect to meet with many whales ; for they say that they eat 

 up the food of the whale, Mdiercfore the whales will not stay 

 in such empty places, but go to find out better, and so come 

 ^ Cyamus Ceti. 



