WHALEBONE WHALE. 7 



all of them very much alike, sooty black in colour, scarcely 

 larger than a sparrow. They have the faculty of running 

 liofhtlv on the surface of the water, and with considerable 

 rapidity. Hence the derivation of their name petrel, the 

 navigators comparing them, on account of their habit of walk- 

 ing on the surface of the water, to St. Peter. Peterrill being 

 a diminutive of Peter. It is very amusing to watch them 

 when doing that exercise. Alike the other petrels they are 

 voracious, and are easily caught with hooks. We secured 

 several specimens, which were made into skins. 



On the 26th of April, we sighted TiERRA DEL FuEGO 

 and the Bay of San Sebastian. The weather was getting 

 cold, and winter dresses came handy. 



On the 29th, we sighted Bell's MOUNTAIN, which is 

 1,250 feet high. New Island, Cape of San Diego, and Cape 

 OF Good Success, all of them belonging to the Straits of 

 Leaiaire, by which we wanted to cross to the Pacific Ocean, 

 but, unfortunately, the bad weather that we experienced in 

 these parts did not permit it. Up to the 4th of May we had 

 very rough w^eather. 



On the 4th of May, which was a Sunday, we sighted 

 at last the celebrated Cape Horn. It is a rock of several 

 hundred feet in circumference, and seeming to rise about 

 50 feet over the sea. It is usually covered with snow. On 

 that day we saw our first whale. It was a grand sight for me. 

 The species seen was a specimen of Balaena australis, or 

 whalebone whale. This animal belongs to the class Mam- 

 malia ; order, Cetacea ; family, Balaenidae ; and genus, 

 Balaena. They are marine, viviparous, suckle their young 

 as other mammalia, respire by lungs, and have distinct 

 separate blow-holes. They have warm blood, and have 

 no teeth ; these are replaced by plates of baleen, the 

 well-known article of commerce. This familv contains the 

 whales known by the name of whalebone whales, which 

 are of immense size, reaching sometimes fifty feet in 

 length. About twelve species are known. The name Balaena 

 is derived from the Phoenician word Baalman^ which means, 

 but incorrectly, the King of Fishes. It reigns over the in- 

 numerable tribes of marine animals. One of the peculiarities 

 of the whales is the blowing of steam that they eject when in 

 the act of breathing. This column of steam, which rises to a 

 good height, has usually been erroneously taken for water. 

 The head of this whale is of great size, being a third, and 

 sometimes more, of the whole body, and the upper jaw is 



