W H A 
Medufe, are fufHcicnt for this fupply. Thefe in- 
fefts, which are black, and each about the fize of 
a fmall bean, are fomctimes feen in large clufters 
on the furface of the water : they are of a round 
figure; but furnifhed with wings, which are fo 
extremely tender, that it is fcarcely poffible to 
touch without breaking them ; and they are rather 
adapted for fwimming than flying. The little 
animals themfelves, which, in the Icelandic lan- 
guage, are called the Walfifchoas, or "Whales 
Providers, poflefs the tafte of raw mufcles, and 
the fmell of burnt fugar. Thefe the Whale is 
obferved to draw up in great numbers with it's 
enormous jaws ; and to bruife between it's barbs, 
which are always found with feveral of thefe in- 
fers (licking round them. 
Such is the fimple food of the common Whale : 
it purfues no other prey ; leads an inoffenfive life 
in it's own element ; and is innoxious in propor- 
tion to it's powers to do mifchief. There feems 
to be an analogy between it's manners and thofc 
of the elephant. They are both the ftrongeft and 
the largeft animals in their refpeflive elements ; 
neither of them offer any injury; but are terrible 
when provoked to refentment. 
The Whale being a harmlefs animal, it is not 
furprifing that it fliould have many enemies, ever 
ready to avail themfelves of it's indolence and in- 
aptitude for conteft. A fmall creature of the tef- 
taceous kind, called the Whale-loufe, adheres to 
it's body, and frequently infinuates itfelf under 
the fins ; ftill retaining it's hold, and feafting on 
the fat, in fpite of all the efforts of that moft pow- 
erful animal to difengage it. 
But the xiphias, or fword-fifh, is the moft ter- 
rible enemy the Whale has to contend with. ' At 
the fight of this little animal,' fays Anderfon, 
* the Whale feems agitated in an extraordinary 
manner; leaping from the water as if with af- 
fright : wherever it appears, the Whale perceives 
it at a diflance, and flies from it in the oppofite 
direftion. I have been myfelf,' continues he, ' a 
fpeftator of their terrible encounter. The Whale 
has no inftrument of defence except it's tail ; with 
that it endeavours to (trike the enemy ; and a fin- 
gle blow taking place, would effeftually deftroy 
it's adverfary : but the fv/ord-fifli is as aftive as 
the other is ftrong, and eafily eludes the ftroke ; 
then bounding into the air, it falls upon it's great 
fubjacent enemy, and endeavours, not to pierce 
with it's pointed beak, but to cut with it's toothed 
edges. The fea all around is foon dyed with 
blood, proceeding from the wounds of the Whale ; 
while the enormous animal vainly endeavours to 
reach it's invader, and ilrikes with it's tail againft 
the furface of the water, making a report at each 
blow louder than the noife of a cannon.' 
There is ftill another, and more powerful enemiy, 
called by the filhermen of New England the 
Killer. This is itfelf a cetaceous animal, armed 
with ftrong and very powerful teeth. A number 
of thefe fifh are faid to furround the Whale : 
fome attack it with their teeth behind ; others at- 
tempt it before ; till at laft the invaded is over- 
come ; and it's tongue, the only part they devour, 
is eagerly feized by the invaders. Thefe crea- 
tures, we are told, are of fuch vaft ftrength, that 
one of them fingly ftopped a dead Whale, which 
feveral boats were towing along, and dragged it 
to the bottom. 
But man is by far the moft formidable enemy 
of thefe enormous fifties : he alone is fuppofcd to 
W H A 
deftroy more in one year than the reft in an age ; 
and has adlually thinned their numbers in that part 
of the world where they are chiefly fought for. 
The great refort of thefe animals was found to be 
on the inhofpitable ftiores of Spitzbergen ; where 
the diftance of the voyage, the coldnefs of die 
climate, the terrors of the icy fea, and, ftill more, 
their own formidable bulk, might have been ex- 
pedled to proteft them from human injury. How- 
ever, all thefe circumftances united proved but 
flight barriers againft the arts, the intrepidity, and 
the necefiities of man. The Europeans, foon af- 
ter the improvement of navigation, found their 
way into thofe feas; and, as early as the begin- 
ning of the fourteenth century, the Bifcayneers 
were in poflfelTion of a very confiderable trade to 
the coafts of Greenland. The Dutch and Eng- 
lifh followed them thither, and foon wrefted that 
branch of commerce from their hands. The Eng- 
lifli commenced the bufinefs about the feventeenth 
century ; and the town of Hull had the honour of 
firft attempting that lucrative branch of trade. 
But at prefent, though the Ipirit of commerce is 
not abated, the fiihery feems to be on the decline, 
as the quantity of Whales are greatly reduced by 
the conftant capture for fuch a vaft period of 
time. On account of the fcarcity of Whales, 
fiftiermen apply themfelves to the taking of feals ; 
yet, as thefe animals are extremely timorous, it is 
probable they will foon be driven from thofc 
fhores where diey are expofed to fuch frequent 
moleftation. 
The art of catching Whales, like moft others, 
is much improved by time; and differs in many 
refpefls from that pra6tifed by the Bifcayneers, 
when they firft frequented the icy feas. But as the 
defcription of their method is the leaft compli- 
cated, and generally known, to it we fhall adhere. 
In favourable feafons, the Bifcayneers fitted out 
thirty fhips, of two hundred and fifty tons each, 
for this navigation ; with fifty choice men a-piece, 
and fome boys. Thefe were furniflied with fix 
months provifion ; and each fhip had it's refpec- 
tive boats, which were to be applied to fervice as 
foon as they arrived at the fcene of a6lion. 
When they reach thofe latitudes where the 
Whales are expefted to pafs to the fouthward, 
they always keep their fiiils fet; and a failor is 
placed at the maft-head, to give information when- 
ever a Whale appears. As foon as he difcovers 
the wiflied-for prize, the whole crew inftantly pre- 
pare themfelves for aftion ; they man their boats, 
and direft their courfe to the place where the 
Whale is feen. The harpooner, who is to ftrike 
the fifh, ftands at the prow of the boat, with a 
harpoon or javelin in his hand, five or fix feet 
long, pointed with fteel like the barb of an arrow, 
and of a triangular fliape. As this perfon's office 
requires the greateft dexterity, fo it alfo expofes 
him to the moft imminent danger: the Whale 
fometimes overturns the boat with a blow of his 
tail; and, at others, pufhes againft it with greit 
fury. In general, however, the animal feems to 
repofe on the Surface of the water; while the boat 
approaching, the harpooner ftands aloft ; and his 
harpoon being fixed to a cord feveral hundred 
fathoms in length, he darts it into the creature, 
and then rows away as faft as poffible. It is fome 
time before the Whale feems to feel the blow; the 
inftrument has ufually not pierced deeper than the 
fat, and that being callous, the creature continues 
for a while motionleisi but roufing from his k- 
