THE DOLPHINS. 87 



ones, apparently about tlie same size as the above mentioned foetus, and doubtless 

 tbis animal, had it not been disturbed, would have soon played in its native ele- 

 ment. The Blackfish is taken for its oil, which is, however, much inferior to that 

 of the Sperm Whale. The yield is small compared to its size, it being from ten 

 to twenty -five feet in length, and producing from ten gallons to ten barrels of oil. 

 The blubber varies in thickness from one to four inches ; its color is nearly white. 

 The flesh of the Blackfish is like coarse beef, and after being exposed to the air 

 for a few days, then properly cooked, is by no means unsavory food, and is often 

 used by whalemen as a substitute for the fresh meat of land animals. The same 

 may be said of the different species of porpoises. Formerly, Blackfish were found 

 in large numbers on the coast of Lower California, particularly about Cape St- 

 Lucas, and up the Gulf of California ; but probably, from the same cause as made 

 mention of concerning Sperm Whales, these grounds are now seldom frec^uented by 

 them. 



Although the Blackfish is taken for its oil, it is not an object of pursuit by 

 the whaler, like the batenas and the Cachalot. Sperm whalers do not lower their 

 boats for Blackfish, when on Sperm Whale ground, unless the day is far spent, or 

 there is little prospect of "seeing whales." The northern or polar whale- ships pay 

 but little attention to them, except, perliaps, when passing the time "between sea- 

 sons," cruising within or about the tropics. Occasionally a small vessel is fitted 

 out for hunting the Blackfish and Sperm Whale, carrying a proportionately limited 

 crew, thereby making the capture of this species of the smaller Cetaceans profitable. 

 When a ship's boat is lowered for Blackfish, the chase begins as for other whales ; 

 althougli many masters have their boats all ready, and run just ahead of, or into 

 a "school," with the ship, before lowering, by which means the animals are so 

 frightened or "gallied," that they "bring to," or move slowly in all directions, 

 giving the boats, which are instantly lowered, a good chance to "get fast." The 

 harpoon frequent!)' kills the fish ; if not, a few darts with the hand - lance dis- 

 patch it. As soon as it is dead, the prize almost invariably sinks ; and if the 

 ship is close at hand, it is towed to the vessel at once ; but if a considerable 

 distance away, it is either made fast to the "loggerhead" at the stern of the boat, 

 or a buo)' is tied to it and left, to be afterward recovered ; the boats still continu- 

 ing the chase. In this way quite a number are captured from one school. The 

 favorite resorts of Blackfish, along the coasts of North and South America, on the 

 Pacific side, are off Guatemala, Equador, and Peru ; yet their geographical distribu- 

 tion is occasionally extended to high northern and southern latitudes. 



