ON THE COAST OF IRELAND. 121 



with energy and spirit the unbounded sources of wealth, which nature has 

 thrown within their grasp. It may appear still more extraordinary to 

 those connected so extensively in the Greenland and South Sea whale 

 fishery, that they should so long have remained in ignorance, that those 

 fish abound on the coast which I have described. In order to give proof 

 of so bold an assertion, I shall state some circumstances which came under 

 my immediate observation, in my own vessels, and at a subsequent period, 

 in command of a revenue cutter. On a visit, in company with the Rev. 

 Mr. Mahon to the Sun Fishery at Bofin's Island, we strayed on a blustry 

 day to observe the coast and breakers; at a short distance from the shore 

 we saw several large fish, which I supposed to be grampusses, or finners, 

 that had taken shelter under the lee of the island; still looking closely at 

 them, they advanced towards the rocks immediately under the cliffs, 

 where we had a perfect view of them, at a distance of 500 yards, with a 

 spy glass, their double tufted heads quite conspicuous, and no intervening 

 back fins, I decided at once on their species. In the month of July, after 

 the sun fishery, a large spermaceti whale was drifted on shore dead, at 

 the Bay of Bunowen, in Connemara, about two leagues from Cliffden or 

 Ardbear Harbour; in cousequence of the ignorance of the peasantry and 

 the boatmen, and their continual squabbling and fighting, three fourth's 

 of the oil was lost; the surface of the bay was dyed with a rainbow tinge, 

 from the floating particles of oil. Shortly after, an immense fish was 

 towed into the island of Teuk, by three of the island fishing boats ; the 

 monster was observed floating about a mile from the island, and had 

 been very recently killed, but how, could not be ascertained: this fish 

 completely filled up the small and only inlet in the island, and measured 

 in length thirty three yards; it was claimed by the proprietor, I believe, 

 the Archbishop of Tuam, who, I had been informed, gave it up to the 

 islanders. A small village near the place where they had towed it, 

 shortly became deserted, the inhabitants never calculating on the foetid air 

 caused by their imprudence. The islanders were two months employed 

 in cutting up and launching over the cliffs the bones and remains of their 

 prize. About the beginning of August, in beating down Blacksod Bay, 

 with light airs, and near the island of Inniskeas, two large whales came 

 alongside the cutter; the day very fine, and making but little way, 1 

 ordered the gig and jolly boat out, and pursued them and had the men 

 been sufficiently acquainted with the art, I shonld have succeeded in 

 killing them; they allowed me to go alongside them, and I was only 

 prevented from striking them by the bowman, who intercepted me at the 

 moment by panic, being fearful of the event, by a lash of the tail. "What 



