( 44 $ ) 
In thefe Difcoveries it was very remarkable, that each 
of the before-mention’d long Flefti Particles appear’d to 
me as if they were wrapt about with a little thin Mem- 
brane, which I oblerv’d in a thoufand feveral Places $ 
and the more eafily, becaufe as the Flefli Particles grew 
dryer, thefe fine Skins or Membranes were feparated 
from them. 
The afore-mention’d Captain acquainted me, that 
the Whale has three diftinft Skins 3 the uppermoft of 
which is very thin, and the next to that is as foft as 
Velvet ^ but the third and undermoft is a thick Skin, 
which we call the Sward, and is like the Skin of a 
Hog. Soon after he gave me a little piece of the firft 
Skin, which he faid was eafily feparated from the fe- 
cond j it was no thicker than a Leaf of Writing Paper. 
Having view’d that Skin thro* a Microfcope, I judg’d it 
to be compofed of fuch flattifh Particles as I can call by 
no other Name than little Scales, and which were no big- 
ger than the little Scales of which our own outmoft Skin 
is compos’d : But whereas the Scales of our Skin are very 
eafily feparated, and efpecially the uppermoft Scales, 
which are fhed or caft often, the little Scales of the 
Skin of the Whale are firmly united together. 
When I came to confider the aforefaid Skin, with re- 
gard to its thicknefs, I judg’d it to be compofed of not 
fewer than four Skins, lying upon each other : But when 
I view’d the fame more nicely, I difcover’d, that there 
were at leaft twenty Skins upon one another ^ all which 
were compofed of little Scales, and of exceeding fmall 
Particles that lay fcatter’d under tbofe Scales 3 but as 
carefully as I examin’d the faid Skin, I could not difco- 
ver in it the leaft Fibres or Veffels- 
From thefe Obfervations I concluded, that the afore- 
faid uppermoft Skin was feparated of itfelf from the 
reft j which the Captain alfo confirm’d 5 adding more- 
over, that he gave but one cut or flit in the uppermoft 
P p p 2 Skin, 
