THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. 1§1 



fin only is exposed, cutting the surface like a knife; 

 then the broad and muscular tail is elevated as the 

 animal plunges perpendicularly down into the depth, 

 or dives beneath the keel to explore the opposite 

 side. So smooth are their bodies, that their gam- 

 bols are performed with surprisingly little disturbance 

 of the water, and even when descending from their 

 agile somersets they make scarcely any splash. The 

 colour of the upper parts of their bodies is of a deep 

 black, but by a deception of the sight, caused, pro- 

 bably, by the swiftness of their motions, and by the 

 gleaming of the light from their wet and glittering 

 skin, they appear in the air and under water of a 

 light-greenish grey. After having taken a few rapid 

 turns under and around the vessel, the whole shoal, 

 consisting of a dozen or two, usually congregate 

 immediately beneath the bowsprit, where they re- 

 main sometimes for hours, romping and rolling about 

 as if the ship were perfectly stationary, instead of 

 spanking along at the rate of seven or eight knots 

 an hour, apparently making no effort to go ahead, 

 and yet keeping their relative position with admir- 

 able dexterity and precision. But they are allowed 

 to remain so long undisturbed only when the duties 

 of the ship demand the attention of the hands: for 

 if there be a few moments of leisure, the presence 

 of a shoal of Dolphins is too tempting to pass un- 

 heeded. Some one of the crew reputed to be skil- 

 ful in wielding the harpoon, in small vessels often 

 the captain himself, goes forward, and having taken 

 his station upon the bowsprit-heel, or upon one of 

 the cat-heads, poises his implement of war, and waits 



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