THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. 181 
fin only is exposed, cutting the surface like a knife; 
then the broad and muscular tail is elevated as the 
animal plunges perpendicularly down into the depth, 
or dives beneath the keel to explore the opposite 
side. So smooth are their bodies, that their gam- 
bols are performed with surprisingly little disturbance 
of the water, and even when descending from their 
agile somersets they make scarcely any splash. The 
colour of the upper parts of their bodies is of a deep 
black, but by a deception of the sight, caused, pro- 
bably, by the swiftness of their motions, and by the 
gleaming of the light from their wet and glittering 
skin, they appear in the air and under water of a 
light-greenish grey. After having taken a few rapid 
turns under and around the vessel, the whole shoal, 
consisting of a dozen or two, usually congregate 
immediately beneath the bowsprit, where they re- 
main sometimes for hours, romping and rolling about 
as if the ship were perfectly stationary, instead of 
spanking along at the rate of seven or eight knots 
an hour, apparently making no effort to go ahead, 
and yet keeping their relative position with admir- 
able dexterity and precision. But they are allowed 
to remain so long undisturbed only when the duties 
of the ship demand the attention of the hands: for 
if there be a few moments of leisure, the presence 
of a shoal of Dolphins is too tempting to pass un- 
heeded. Some one of the crew reputed to be skil- 
ful in wielding the harpoon, in small vessels often 
the captain himself, goes forward, and having taken 
his station upon the bowsprit-heel, or upon one of 
the cat-heads, poises his implement of war, and waits 
Q 
