394 
COMMON WHALE.' 
but constituting a pretty large ball within. Thia 
picturesque visage is rendered tremendous by the 
large opening of the mouth, which, when the jaws 
are extended, is no less than eighteen feet wide. 
On the back of this animal there is no fin : but 
the two lateral ones are exceedingly large ; and 
with them, as we have seen, it supports its young. 
The tail is broad, semilunar, and horizontal ; it is 
of such vast strength, that by a stroke of it upon 
the surface, the water is so much agitated as to 
overset a boat if it is near. The penis is included 
in a strong sheath, and is seven feet in length. 
The colour of whales varies very much ; the 
back being in some red, and the belly generally 
white. Some are marbled with black and white, 
while others are entirely black, and some white. 
Their skin is smooth and slippery, and their colours 
in the water are extremely beautiful. In the belly 
of one described by Rondeletius there was found 
no kind of fish only a sort of mucus, foam, water, 
and sea weed. 
To the Greenlanders, as well as to the natives of 
more southern climates, the whale is an animal of 
essential importance ; and these people spend much 
time in fishing for it. When they set out on their 
whale-catching expeditions, they dress themselves 
in their best apparel, fancying, that if they are not 
cleanly and neatly clad, the whale, who detests a 
slovenly and dirty garb, would immediately avoid 
them. In this manner about fifty persons, men and 
women, set out together in one of their large boats. 
The women carry along with them their needles 
and other implements to mend their husband's 
clothes, in case they should be torn, and to mend 
the boat, if it happen to receive any damage. 
When the men discover a whale, they strike it with 
their harpoons, to which are fastened lines or 
