220 CURIOUS CREATURES. 



fires to boyl their meat; until at length the Whale 

 feeling the fire, dives down to the bottome; and such 

 as are upon his back, unless they can save themselves 

 by ropes thrown forth of the ship, are drown'd. This 

 Whale, as I have said before of the Whirlpool and 

 Pristes, sometimes so belcheth out the waves that he 

 hath taken in, that, with a Cloud of Waters, oft times, 

 he will drown the ship ; and when a Tempest ariseth at 

 Sea, he will rise above water, that he will sink the ships, 

 during these Commotions and Tempests. Sometimes he 

 brings up Sand on his back, upon which, when a Tem- 

 pest comes, the Marriners are glad that they have found 

 Land, cast Anchor, and are secure on a false ground ; 

 and when as they kindle their fires, the Whale, so soon 

 as he perceives it, he sinks down suddenly into the 

 depth, and draws both men and ships after him, unless 

 the Anchors break." 



But apropos of the whale casting forth such quantities 

 of water, it is, as a matter of fact, untrue. The whale 

 has a tremendously strong exhalation, and when it 

 breathes under water, its breath sends up two columns 

 of spray, but, if its head is above water, it cannot 

 spout. 



One thing in favour of whales, is " The Wonderful 

 affection of the whales towards their young. Whales, 

 that have no Gills, breathe by Pipes, which is found but 

 in few creatures. They carry their young ones, when 

 they are weak and feeble ; and if they be small, they 

 take them in at their mouths. This they do also when 

 a Tempest is coming ; and after the Tempest, they Vomit 

 them up. When for want of water their young are 

 hindered, that they cannot follow their Dams, the Dams 

 take water in their mouths, and cast it to them like a 



