VOYAGE TO GREENLAND. 
51 
assistance, till, at length, the fish that was struck, 
sunk under the number of its wounds ; while its 
faithful associate, disdaining to survive the loss, 
stretched itself with great bellowing, upon the dead 
fish, and shared its fate.” 
The whale goes with young nine or ten months, 
and is then fatter than usual, particularly when near 
the time of bringing forth. It is said, that the em- 
bryo, when first perceptible, is about seventeen 
inches long, and white ; but the young fish at its 
birth is black, and about ten feet long. The mother 
generally produces one at a time, but never exceeds 
two; and in suckling, she throws herself on one 
side, on the surface of the water. Nothing can 
surpass the tender attachment and maternal atten- 
tion which a female whale will sometimes manifest, 
if her young one be harpooned : she joins it at the 
surface, whenever it has occasion to rise for respira- 
tion, encourages it to swim off, assists its flight by 
taking it under her fin, and seldom deserts it while 
life remains. She is then dangerous to approach : 
but affords frequent opportunities for attack. She 
loses all regard for her own safety, in anxiety for 
the preservation of her young ; dashes through the 
midst of her enemies ; despises the dangers that 
threaten her; and even voluntarily remains with 
her offspring, after various attacks on herself from 
the harpoons of the fishers. An extraordinary in- 
stance of this is related by Captain Scoresby : — In 
June, 1811 , one of my harpooners struck a sucker, 
with the hope of its leading to the capture of the 
E 2 
