ENEMIES OP THE WHALE 99 



The usual march of the whale over the waters is rarely more 

 than four miles an hour, but its speed increases to an astonishing 

 rapidity when terror or the agonies of pain drive it madly through 

 the sea. 



In its sportive humours it is sometimes seen to spring out of 

 the water, and to remain suspended for a moment in the air. 

 On falling back again into the sea, high foam-crested fountains 

 spout forth on all sides, and mighty waves propagate the tumult 

 in widening circles over the troubled ocean. Or else it raises its 

 bulky head vertically on high, so that the deceived mariner 

 fancies he sees some black rock looming out of the distant waters. 

 But suddenly the fancied cliff turns round and brandishes play- 

 fully its enormous flukes in the air, or lashes the waters with 

 such prodigious power, that the sound rolls far away like thunder 

 ■over the deserts of the ocean. 



Strange to say, the giant is of so cowardly a nature, that the 

 sight of a sea-bird often fills him with the greatest terror, and 

 causes him to avoid the imaginary danger by a sudden plunge 

 into the deep. 



Besides man, a vast number of enemies, great and small, 

 persecute the whale and embitter his life. 



The Sword-fish (Xiphias Gladius) and the Thresher or Sea- 

 fox, a species of shark (Carcharias Vulpes), often attack him 

 conjointly and in packs. As soon as his back appears above 

 the water, the threshers, springing several yards into the air, 

 descend with great violence upon the object of their rancour, 

 and inflict upon him the most severe slaps with their long tails, 

 the sound of which resembles the report of distant musketry. 

 The sword-fish, in their turn, attack the distressed whale, 

 stabbing from below ; and thus beset on all sides, and bleeding 

 from countless wounds, the huge animal, though dealing the 

 most dreadful blows with its enormous tail, and lashing the 

 crimsoned waters into foam, is obliged to succumb at last. 



The Greenland Shark (Squalus borealis) is also one of the 

 bitterest enemies of the whale, biting and annoying it while 

 living, and feeding on it when dead. It scoops hemispherical 

 pieces out of its body nearly as big as a man's head, and continues 

 scooping and gorging lump after lump, until the whole cavity of 

 its belly is filled. It is so insensible of pain, that, though it has 

 been run through the body, and escaped, yet after a while 



