86 A HISTORY OF THE WHALE FISHERIES 



colour, and bigger than any of the former, the finnes 

 not above one foot long, and he yeelds little or no 

 oyle. The seventh is called Sedeva Negro, of 

 colour blacke, with a bump on his backe ; this whale 

 yeelds neither oyle, fins nor teeth, and yet he is of a 

 great bignesse. 



" The eight sort is called Sewria, of colour as 

 white as snow, of the bignesse of a Wherrie, he 

 yeelds not above one hogshead or two of Oyle, nor 

 any finnes, and is good meat to be eaten." 1 



Descriptions of the different species of whales by 

 the Dutch will be found in an early pamphlet of 

 Saeghman's 2 and in Zorgdrager. 3 The latter (in 

 1720) distinguished six or seven species, viz., 

 Vinvisch (Balena vulgaris\ Walvisch {Balena verd), 

 Zwaard-Zaag of Tand-Vische (Balena Orca vel 

 dantata), Noortkaper (Physter), Potyisch (Cete) and 

 Eenhoorn of Hoornvisch (Narwal). A short 

 digression is here made to give the various names in 

 vogue from time to time for the whales of Arctic and 

 sub- Arctic waters. 



Other accounts of the different species of whales 

 met in northern waters are given by Von Troil 4 



1 This is the White Whale (Delphinapterus leucas). It grows 

 to a length of about twelve feet. White whales were taken by 

 the English, whenever possible. Twenty-four tons of oil were 

 made from white whales in 1670. They were driven ashore by 

 means of nets, and consequently were only taken in the bays. 



a Kort verhael van de Gedaente der Walvisschen, En hare 

 Namen, en voorts waer, en hoe, deselve in Zee gevangen warden. 

 Miiller, " Noordsche Compagnie," p. 377, from " Drie Voya- 

 gien Gedaen na Groenlandt," Amsterdam, G. J. Saeghman. 



* Bloyende Opkomst, ist edition, p. 80. 



* W. von Troil, " Bref rorande en Resa til Island," 1772, 

 Upsal, 1777. 



