ORDER VI. THE CETACF.A. 249 



herctofdrc described. At tlie ;ige of twenty or twenty-five years, the .ininial 

 attains its full orowth. Altlioufrli the exact limit of its life is not known, it 

 is suijposed to live to a very great age. 



We have several times witnessed exhibitions of the aftectionate disposition 

 of these creatures towards each other, and especially to their young. Their 

 sensibility is extraordinary ; and when we consider their capaljility of feeling 

 tlie sorrows and pangs of bereavement as strongly as liunian beings can 

 experience them, we may well doubt the justice of that relentless and merce- 

 nary persecution which carries destruction into their liarmless world, out- 

 raging affections so strong and deep as to be almost impressed with the 

 characters of immortality. In regard to the maternal instinct of this whale, 

 Mr. Scorseby remarks, that one of his harpooncrs struck a sucker, with the 

 hope thereby to capture the mother. Presently she arose by the "fast-boat," 

 and, seizing the young one, dragged about six hundred feet of line out of the 

 boat with remarkalile ibrce and velocity. Again she rose to the surface, 

 darted furiously to and i'ro, frcrpicntly stop[)cd short, or suddenly changed 

 lier direction, and gave every possible intimation of extreme agony. For a 

 length of time she continued thus to act, though closely piu'sued by the 

 boats, and, inspired with courage and resolution by her concern for her cub, 

 seemed regardless of the dangers wiilch surrounded her ; and finally lost 

 her life in attempting to rescue her 3'oung one from destruction. "There is 

 sometiiing cxtrcmclv painful," savs this interesting writer, " in the destruc- 

 tion of a Nvliale, when thus evincing a degree of aflfcetiouate regard for its 

 olfspring which would do honor to the superior intelligence of human be- 

 ings ; but the great value of the prize extinguishes all feelings of compassion, 

 and stitles e\ery emotion of pity." 



An experienced " whaleman " has gi\en the following directions as a pre- 

 liminary preparation for the successful prosecution of the business: — 



"The first object is to fit out a ship adapted for the trade, and constructed, 

 therefore, in such a manner as to possess a peculiar degree of strength. 

 Its exposed parts, accordingly, are secured with double or treble timbers, 

 whilst it is fortified internally with ice-beams and cross-bars, and externally 

 with iron plates, c^c, so .disposed as to make the pressure on any one part 

 to be supported by the whole fabric. A ship of about three hundred and 

 fifty tons is deemed llie most eligible, with a crew of about fifty men ; six or 

 seven very light and swift boats are required for the inunediate pursuit ; and 

 one of the essential rerpiisites is the crow's nest, or hurricane house, invented 

 by the elder Scorseby, a species of watch-tower, made of hoops and canvass, 

 placed on the main-topmast, for tlie use of the master or officer on watch, 

 to shelter him from the blast, where he may be called to sit for hours at the 



KO. YII. 



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