THE WHALE AND 



The Whale's Skin. His Robe of Silk. 



of a jet black color, but not unfrequently the 

 right whale is found with irregular spots of a 

 milky whiteness, very like those on a pied horse. 

 The skin of both kinds is similar. Outside of 

 the sensible skin, which has no peculiarity, there 

 is a coat of something resembling fur, very close 

 and compact, and the fibres united by a gluti- 

 nous matter, so as to render it about as hard 

 as the rind of a new cheese : this is termed the 

 " black skin," and is about half an inch thick. 

 Still outside of this is a very thin and delicate 

 skin, which, when first detached from the body, 

 whence it is easily stripped, very nearly resem- 

 bles a glossy black silk ; and when the whale 

 basks in the sunbeams on the surface of the 

 water, its smooth outer covering glistens as if 

 it were from the looms of France or Italy, so 

 much is it like the shining silk. 



Soon as the business of the voyage is fairly 

 commenced by taking the first whale, the ap- 

 pearance of the ship and her crew wofully chan- 

 ges for the worse. The decks, which have 

 hitherto been kept scrupulously clean, are. now 

 covered with oil, and it is only by keeping a 

 thick coat of sand scattered over them that the 

 crew are enabled to get about without slipping. 



