THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 235 



teen thus prevented, of leaving liis antagonists Jar 

 behind. The attack was continued for a considerable 

 time, during Avhich the Whale had got a great dis- 

 tance from the ship, when it twice threw itself 

 completely out of its native element, no doubt 

 endeavouring to escape from its tormenting adver- 

 saries by this act of ' breaching,' and which I have 

 myself seen him do, after having been unsuccessfully 

 chased by the boats."* 



A Whale will occasionally place himself perpen- 

 dicularly in the water, his whole head being visible, 

 presenting a most extraordinary appearance, like a 

 black rock in the Ocean : the object of this posture 

 is to take a rapid and comprehensive glance around 

 him, when he is apprehensive of danger. Some- 

 times, when attacked by boats, he will carefully 

 sweep his tail from side to side upon the surface, 

 as if to discover by feeling, the object of his dread. 

 At other times, he amuses himself by lashing the 

 water with the same organ, in the most violent 

 manner; covering the sea with foam, while the 

 strokes resound on every side. Breaching, or leaping 

 bodily into the air, is alluded to in the above 

 extract. 



The food of the Sperm Wliale consists of different 

 species of cuttle or squid, occasionally varied with 

 small fish : to obtain these, Mr. Beale supposes, with 

 much probability, that lie descends to a considerable 

 depth, and remaining as quiet as possible, allows 

 his narrow lower jaw to hang down perpendicularly 

 at right angles with his body. The whole inside 



• Beale'3 Sperm Whale, p. 49, 



