MAMMAL-_A--WHALE. AO] 
pany together, the wounded fish made a long and terrible resistance; 11 
struck down a boat with three men in it, with a single blow of the tail, by 
which all went to the bottom. The other still attended its companion, and 
lent it every assistance; till, at last, the fish that was struck sunk under the 
number of its wounds: while its faithful associate, disdaining to survive 
the loss, with great bellowing, stretched itself upon the dead fish, and shured 
his fate. 
The whale gues with young nine or ten months, and is then fatter than 
usual, particularly when near the time of bringing forth. The young ones 
continue at the breast f_r a year; during which time they are called by the 
sailors, short heads. They are then extremely fat, and yield above fifty 
barrels of blubber. Tue mother, at the sanie time, is equally lean and 
emaciated. At tie age of two years, they are called stunts, as they do not 
thrive much iramediately after quitting the breast; they then yield scarce 
above twenty or twenty-four barrels of blubber. From that time forward 
they are called skull fish, and their age is wholly unknown. The food 
of the whale, isa small insect, which is seen floating in those seas, and 
which Linneus terms the medusa. These insects are black, and of the size 
of asmall bean, and are sometimes seen floating in clusters on the surface 
of the water. They are of a round form like snails in a box, but they have 
wings, which are so tender that it is scarce possible to touch them without 
breaking. These, however, serve rather for swimming than flying. They 
have the taste of raw muscles, and have the smell of burnt sugar. Inoffen- 
sive as the whale is, it is not without enemies. There is a small animal, 
of the shell-fish kind, called the whale louse, that sticks to its body, as we 
see shells sticking to the foul bottom of a ship. This insinuates itself 
chiefly under the fins; and whatever efforts the great animal makes, it still 
keeps its hold, and lives upon the fat, which it is provided with instru- 
ments to arrive at. 
The sword-fish, however, is the whale’s most terrible enemy. “At the 
sight of this little animal,” says Anderson, “the whale seems agitated in 
an extraordinary manner, leaping from the water as if with affright ; wher- 
ever it appears, the whale perceives it at a distance, and flies from it in the 
opposite direction. I have been myself, a spectator of their terrible encoun- 
ter. The whale has no instrument of defence except the tail; with that 
it endeavors to strike the enemy; anda single blow taking place, would 
effectually destroy its adversary. But the sword-fish is as active as the 
other is strong, and easily avoids the stroke; then bounding into the air, it 
falls upon its enemy, and endeavors not to pierce with its pointed heak, 
but to cut with its toothed edges. The sea all about is soon dyed with 
blood, proceeding from the wounds of the whale; while the enormous- 
animal vainly endeavors to reach its invade" and strikes with its tail 
against the surface of the water, making +\.° at each blow Inuder than 
the noise of a cannon.” 
51 
