leaping' perpendicularly from the waves, standing, so-to-say, on the 
tips of their tails, spreading out their vast flippers, falling back on 
the waves, bursting them asunder and Anally disappearing amidst 
torrents of foam and spray Sometimes a numerous troop of 
these whales seemed to advance in a long line; one would have sup- 
posed that they were then competing in suppleness and velocity; at 
other times on the contrary, one behind the other in single file, they 
swam with a sort of deliberation, alternately plunging beneath the 
waves and reappearing on the surface. Frequently we saw them 
performing their evolutions in pairs with a sort of mutual com- 
placency, which made us suspect that it was the breeding season. 
“In the midst of these great objects of observation, the even- 
ing appeared to come on very rapidly, and when the night fell, 
forcing us to let go the anchor, the whole company still had their 
gaze riveted on the whales. 
“Redoubtable though these animals may be from their mass, 
from the strength of their flippers and tail, as well as from the 
speed with which they swim, nature has nevertheless opposed rivals 
to them, and the terrible sawfish breeds on these shores to carry on 
an implacable and murderous warfare against them. This Austra- 
lian sawfish 1 differs from that of the north, especially by the posses- 
sion of two long fringes or flaps, from 25 to 30 cms. in length, and 
8 to 10 mms. in breadth, which, placed on the sides of the saw, to- 
wards its middle part, float freely in the water. Like that of the 
North, the Australian sawfish is capable of attaining large dimen- 
sions, and several of them appeared to me to be not less than 4 or 5 
metres (12 to 15ft.) in length. I have already spoken, in the chapter 
on the Land of Leeuwin, of the battle between one of these animals 
and a whale. We were not long in seeing another in Sharks Bay. 
It took place during the night, under a beautiful clear moon, quite 
near our ship. The two adversaries appeared to fight with equal 
ferocity. The whale, especially, made prodigious leaps, hurtled 
from the water almost uninterruptedly, and appeared much tired 
from the attack which it had to sustain. We could not see the result 
of the combat, the two champions gradually became more distant. 
“This extraordinary abundance of whales in Sharks Bay must 
some day give it considerable importance in this fishery; in fact it 
will be as easy as profitable. Strangers to all species of attack 
on the part of man, the whales in these regions have not yet learned 
to flee his presence or to mistrust his traces, and such was their 
indifference to our presence that, in navigating the interior of the 
Bay, Ave were often afraid of seeing our boats smashed by these 
enormous animals which rose close beside us in search of the air 
which they need.” 
On the 28th of June they anchored off Bernier Island, and on 
the following day Peron landed on the island. “The substance of 
1 Pristiophorus sp. 
