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NARRATIVE OF AN 



CHAP, a dark brown colour, and fponts water with confiderable 

 force. We alfo faw at fome diftance from the veffels fe- 

 veral times above the water a large north-caper. This 

 -fifh, which very much refembles the Greenland whale, 

 is more dangerous, on account of its being more adlive, 



which proceeds from the body being fmaller and flatter ^ 

 than that of the former. The jaw is fliorter, with very 

 fmall barbs : the ficin is whiter, an^ the produce of its . 

 blubber amounts feldom to more than thirty tons. 



About the 22d, the weather began to change, confider- 

 ably, and the whole fliip's company were attacked with 

 a fevere cold and cough, and many alfo with the ague. 



On the 30th, the crew was fo weak as to be hardly able 

 to do their duty ; two of them indeed, and one marine, 

 wTre ah-eady dead and overboard. Colonel de Borgnes 

 was alfo at this time fo much indifpofed, that the com- 

 mand devolved upon me for a few days during his ill- 

 nefs, when obferving the other Ihip ahead, and almoft 

 out of fight, 1 availed myfelf of my commodorefhip, 

 by hoifting a flag at the main-top, and firing a gun 

 to windward to bring her to, which flie pundtually 

 obeyed. 



A large park now fwimming alongfide the fliip, we did 

 all that lay in our power to t:ike it, but to no purpofe. 

 Sharks are in thefe feas of different kinds ; but what is 

 generally called the white lhark is the moil: terrible of 

 its fpecies, on account of its fize, weighing often one 

 thoufand pounds, and meafuring fixteen or eighteen feet 

 in length ; the head,which is fomething deprefiTed, is large; 



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