A VISIT TO SOME STRANGE PLACES. 127 



Never before had I had the opportunity of thus dis- 

 tinguishing myself, and I felt a bit sore about it. 



There was a little obliquity about the direction of the 

 spout that made me hopeful, for the cachalot alone sends 

 his spout diagonally upward, all the others spout 

 vertically. It was but a school of kogia, or " short- 

 headed " cachalots ; but as we secured five of them, 

 averaging seven barrels each, with scarcely any trouble, 

 I felt quite pleased with myself. We had quite an 

 exciting bit of sport with them, they were so lively ; 

 but as for danger — well, they only seemed like big " black 

 fish " to us now, and we quite enjoyed the fun. They 

 were, in all respects, miniature sperm whales, except that 

 the head was much shorter and smaller in proportion to 

 the body than their big relations. 



