GREAT MYSTICETE. 



hath a cavity, for it is turned just like unto a 

 gutter wherein the water runs, where it lieth the 

 one over the other, hke the shields or plates of 

 Crawfish, or the pantiles of an house, that lye one 

 over the other ; for else it might easily wound or 

 hurt the under lip. 



To cut the AV'halebone out is a particular 

 trade, and abundance of iron tools are used in the 

 process. The lower part of the whale s mouth is 

 commonly white. The tongue, which is about 

 the size of a great feather-bed, lyeth among the 

 whalebone ; being very closely tied to the under- 

 most chap or lip. It is Avhite, with black spots at 

 the edges, and consists of a soft, spungy, fat sub- 

 stance, which cannot easily be cut being at once 

 tough and yielding; so that it is thrown away 

 by the Whale- catchers for this reason ; otherwise 

 they might get five, six, or seven barrels of oil 

 from it. Upon the head is the hoffel, 'or bump 

 before the eyes and fins ; and at the top of it are 

 situated the spout-holes, one on each side, over 

 against each other, shaped like the letter S, or the 

 hole on each side a violin. From these holes the 

 Whale bloweth or spoutetli the water : fiercest of 

 all when he is wounded, when it sounds like the 

 roaring of the sea in a great storm, or as we hear 

 the wind in very tempestuous weather : it may be 

 heard at a league's distance, though you cannot 

 see the fish by reason of the thick and foggy air. 

 The head is not round at tlie top, but somewhat 

 flat, and goes dow^n sloping, like the tiHng of a 

 house, to the under hp. The under lip is broader 



