CACHELOT BREACHING. 351 



and was seen no more. * I learnt that Whales were 

 not unusual visitors in these in-shore waters, and 

 though rarely taken, a then recent instance of a mis- 

 adventure which threw a Cachelot into one of the 

 harbours on the north coast of Haiti was related to me. 

 " The bay of Fort Dauphin is a very remarkable 

 one. The entry into it is by a narrow gullet, about 

 three thousand yards in length, comparatively nar- 

 row, but having a depth of from fourteen to 

 twenty-five fathoms. The water then expands into 

 a land-locked space two leagues in length by a good 



* In another communication my friend transcribed from his journal 

 some accompaniments of this scene, which will be read with interest. 

 " We had set sail on the 30th April at night, and the next morning 

 found ourselves to the eastward of the Caimite island, with the low 



shores of Barraderes just before us We lay becalmed 



nearly the whole day, May 1st, off the low peninsula, having the little 

 town of Trou before us, beneath dark forest-clad steeps. Within the 

 peninsula of Barraderes, the sea forms an estuary, seemingly very 

 secure against the prevalent north winds, the worst weather on this 

 coast. A little breeze towards the afternoon set us on to the Point 

 of Tapion, which we reached at sun-down. There is little variety in 

 the chain of hills forming the coast of L'Anse a Veau, but between 

 Miragoane and Petit Goave, the scenery to one coasting near the shore, 

 as we were, is suflBciently interesting. Here and there cliffs — an occa- 

 sional border of sandy beach — a forest margin — green slopes — dark 

 stream-enlivened dells — and, above all, a fine line of broken summits, 

 presented an interesting coast view, rendered still more pleasing by the 

 bluff of the Tapion in the distance. The wind came in flaws and 

 spurts, so we passed on sometimes slowly, sometimes rapidly enough. 

 It was altogether an agreeable evening's trip. A parcel of Dolphins 

 and Bonito-fish gambolled around us ; and to the north, against the 

 blue hazy line of the Gonave, for we were in the passage between that 

 island and the main shore, the whitened spray was dashed up in 

 sudden splashes by the leaps of the Cachelot, escaping the attacks of 

 either the Espadron {Xiphias) or the Sawfish (^Pristis)." 



