Natural-History Notes. 9229 
keeps pretty much on the surface in its struggle to get away, they 
soon manage to fasten eight or ten harpoons into it, and in a couple 
of hours or so it is dead from wounds and the loss of blood. They 
always strike the fish a little behind the blow-hole, on the top of the 
back. When the fish is dead it is lashed alongside one or two of the 
boats to float it, and to allow the others to make their lines fast to the 
tail, and tow it on shore. It is surprising that the boats are not stove 
in or completely destroyed from their manner of attacking the fish, 
2. é., sailing right over it and then striking it; but from the cool way 
in which the Chinese manage the whole affair, I have no doubt that 
personal accidents occur more seldom than with our fishermen. 
Their greatest danger is when two or three whales are struck together 
in the same place, and swim round and over each other, so as to foul 
the lines. The boats are then drawn against each other and over the 
fish, and run greafrisk of being soon swamped and stove in pieces. 
In one instance of this sort that fell under my observation they had 
three of their beats swamped, but managed to clear the lines, and kill 
the fish in a most dexterous manner, after which some of the spare 
boats returned, and towed the damaged boats on shore. They had no 
lances in their boats, nor in fact any other weapon except the har- 
poons, which they refused to sell at any price. All the boats had 
parts of the whale-flesh salted, which they used as provisions. They 
refused to give any account of what use they made of the fish, and in 
general were not disposed to be very civil to strangers, which might 
arise from jealousy, or a fear of our interfering with their fishery. 
The fish are, I believe, what whalers call the right whale, and were 
calculated by those on board to yield, on an average, fifty barrels of 
oil each.” 
Van der Hoeven, in his ‘ Handbook of Zoology,’ vol. ii. p. 624, in 
speaking of Balzena australis, says, “On it affix themselves Balani 
(Tubicinella Balenarum), Coronula balenaris, and species of Cya- 
mus, of which animals not one has ever been observed on the Green- 
land whale.” 
I am informed by a travelling friend that at Japan, where he spent 
two years, the right whale is taken in the inland sea by the Japanese 
in strong nets ; that the flesh is prized as a delicacy, and is sold at 
about fourpence a pound. 
ROBERT SWINHOE. 
Tamsay, Formosa, May 19, 1864. 
