Class IV. COMMON WHALE. 05 



tients we cannot pretend to say, only we find, 

 from a line in Juvenal, that it was of a very large 

 size; 



Quanto Delphinis Balcena Britannica major. 



Sat. X. 



As much as British whales in size surpass 

 The dolphin race. 



To view these animals in a commercial light, 

 we must add, that the English were late before 

 they engaged in the Avhale-fishery : it appears by 

 a set of queries, proposed by an honest mer- 

 chant in the year 1575, in order to get informa- 

 tion in the business, that we were at that time 

 totally ignorant of it, being obliged to send to 

 Biskaie for men skilful in the catching of the 

 whale, and ordering of the oil, and one cooper 

 skilful to set up the staved cask* This seems 

 very strange; for by the account Octher 

 gave of his travels to king Alfred, near 700 

 years j" before that period, it is evident that he 

 made that monarch acquainted with the Nor- 

 wegians' practising the whale-fishery; but it 

 seems all memory of that gainful employ, as 

 well as of that able voyager Octher, and all his 

 important discoveries in the North were lost for 

 near seven centuries. 



It was carried on by the Biscainers long 



* HackluyCs Col. voy. I. 414. f Idem, I. 4. 



VOL. III. F 



