4.6 On the Production of 
Q. Have you obferved the food that whales generally feed 
upon ? 
A. The fpermaceti whale feeds, as I believe, almoft wholly 
upon a fifli called Squids. I have often feen a whale, 
when dying, bring up a quantity of fquid, fometimes whole, 
and fometimes pieces of it. The bills of the fquid (fome of 
which Mr. Coffin produced) were found, fome in the infide, 
and fome on the outfide of the ambergris, flicking to it. 
Q. Did you ever find any ambergris floating on the fea ? 
A. I never did, but others frequently have. 
Q. How long have you been engaged in the whale fifhery ? 
A* It is about fixteen years fince I firft entered into it. 
Q. What is the general proportion of bull and cow whales 
you have met with ? 
A. I believe the proportion to be nearly equal. In my laft 
voyage, 'however, I found only four bulls out of thirty-five 
whales. I fiflied upon the Coaft of Africa between five North 
and feven South degrees of Latitude. I am inclined to think, 
that the cow whale goes to calve in the low latitudes, which 
accounts for more cows being found in thofe latitudes. 
Q. Is there any particular feafon when the cow whales 
calve ? 
A. I do not know that there is. 
Q- Does the bull or cow whale, in proportion to their fize, 
produce moft oil ? 
A. The cow whale, when big with calf, produces more oil 
than a bull whale of the fame fize ; when fuckling, the pro- 
duces lefs. 
Q^Are the whales ufually found fingly, or in pairs ? or in 
larger numbers ? 
4 A* 
