ward from the middle of its forehead.

These teeth

were, therefore, considered as a strong testimony in favour of that historian's veracity, and were shown among the most precious remains of antiquity. Even for some time after the narwhal was known, the deceit was continued, as those who were possessed of a tooth sold it to great advantage. But at present they are too well known to deceive any, and are only shown for what they really are; their curiosity increasing in proportion to their weight and their size.*

CHAP. V.

Of the Cachalot and its Varieties.

THE Cachalot, which has generally gone under the name of the Spermaceti Whale, till Mr. Pennant very properly made the distinction, by borrowing its name from the French, has several teeth in the under jaw, but none in the upper. As there are no less than seven distinctions among whales, so also there are the same number of distinctions in the tribe we are describing. The cachalot with two fins and a black back; the cachalot with two fins and a

[* The food of the Narwhal, like that of the Whale, consists in sea-blubber, star-fish, and other soft marine animals. The flesh is eaten by the Greenlanders, both raw, boiled, and dried; and the intestines and oil are likewise used as a food. A species is mentioned by Fabricius, as being found on the shores of Greenland, much smaller, of a black colour, with two obtuse teeth from the upper jaw, a little curved at the tips, very weak, and measuring not above an inch in length: it has likewise a small fin on the back, which is wanting in the common Narwhal.]

whitish back; that with a spout in the neck; that with the spout in the snout; that with three fins and sharp pointed teeth; that with three fins and sharp edged teeth; and lastly, the cachalot with three fins, and flatted teeth.

-The tribe is not of such enormous size as the whale, properly so called, not being above sixty feet long, and sixteen feet high. In consequence of their being more slender, they are much more active than the common whale; they remain a longer time at the bottom, and afford a smaller quantity of oil. As in the common whale the head was seen to make a third part of its bulk, so in this species the head is so large as to make one half of the whole. The tongue of this animal is small; but the throat is very formidable; and with very great ease it could swallow an ox. In the stomach of the whale scarcely any thing is to be found; but in that of the cachalot there are loads of fish of different kinds; some whole, some half digested, some small, and others eight or nine feet long. The cachalot is therefore as destructive among lesser fishes as the whale is harmless; and can at one gulp swallow a shoal of fishes down its enormous gullet. Linnæus tells us that this fish pursues and terrifies the dolphins and porpoises so much, as often to drive them on shore.

But, how formidable soever this fish may be to its fellows of the deep, it is by far the most valuable, and the most sought after by man, as it contains two very precious drugs, spermaceti and ambergris. The use of these, either for the purposes of luxury or medicine, is so universal, that the capture of this animal, that alone supplies them,

turns out to very great advantage, particularly since the art has been found out of converting all the oil of this animal, as well as the brain, into that substance called spermaceti.

This substance, as it is naturally formed, is found in the head of the animal, and is no other than the brain. The outward skin of the head being taken off, a covering of fat offers about three inches thick ; and under that, instead of a bony skull, the animal has only another thick skin, that serves for a covering and defence of the brain. The first cavity, or chamber, of the brain, is filled with that spermaceti which is supposed of the greatest purity and highest value. From this cavity there is generally drawn about seven barrels of the clearest spermaceti, that thrown upon water coagulates like cheese. Below this there is another chamber just over the gullet, which is about seven feet high; and this also contains the drug, but of less value. It is distributed in this cavity like honey in a hive, in small cells, separated from each other by a membrane like the inner skin of an egg. In proportion as the oily substance is drawn away from this part, it fills anew from every part of the body: and from this is generally obtained about nine barrels of oil. Besides this, the spinal marrow, which is about as thick as a man's thigh, and reaches all along the back-bone to the tail, where it is not thicker than one's finger, affords no inconsiderable quantity.*

[* The perfume called Ambergris, is found in large masses in the intestines, and is now known to be nothing more than the excrements of the animal. Spermaceti is found in a vast cavity in the upper part of the head; while fresh, and in its natural receptacle, it is nearly fluid: but it concretes into opake masses soon after it is exposed to the air.]

This substance, which is used in the composition `of many medicines, rather to give them consistence than efficacy, was at first sold at a very high price, both from the many virtues ascribed to it; and the small quantity that the cachalot was capable of supplying; at present, the price is greatly fallen; first, because its efficacy in medicine is found to be very small; and again, because the whole oil of the fish is very easily convertible into spermaceti. This is performed by boiling it with a ley of pot-ash, and hardening it in the manner of soap. Candles are now made of it, which are substituted for wax, and sold much cheaper; so that we need not fear having our spermaceti adulterated in the manner some medical books caution us to beware of; for they carefully guard us against having our spermaceti adulterated with virgin's wax.

.

As to the ambergris which is sometimes found in this whale, it was long considered as a substance found floating on the surface of the sea; but time, that reveals the secrets of the mercenary, has discovered that it chiefly belongs to this animal. The name, which has been improperly given to the former substance, seems more justly to belong to this; for the ambergris is found in the place where the seminal vessels are usually situated in other animals. It is found in a bag of three or four feet long, in round lumps, from one to twenty pounds weight, floating in a fluid rather thinner than oil, and of a yellowish colour. There are never seen more than four at a time in one of these bags; and that which weighed twenty pounds, and which was the largest ever seen, was found single. These balls of ambergris are not found in all fishes of this kind, but

chiefly in the oldest and strongest. The uses of this medicine for the purposes of luxury and as a perfume are well known: though upon some subjects ignorance is preferable to information.

CHAP. VI.

Of the Dolphin, the Grampus, and the Porpoise, with their Varieties.

ALL these fish have teeth both in the upper and the lower jaw, and are much less than the whale. The Grampus, which is the largest, never exceeds twenty feet. It may also be distinguished by the flatness of its head, which resembles a boat turned upside down. The Porpoise resembles the Grampus in most things except the snout, which is not above eight feet long; its snout also more resembles that of a hog. The Dolphin has a strong resemblance to the porpoise, except that its snout is longer and more pointed. They have all fins on the back; they all have heads very large, like the rest of the whale kind; and resemble each other in their appetites, their manners, and conformations; being equally voracious, active, and roving.

The great agility of these animals prevents their being often taken. They seldom remain a moment above water; sometimes, indeed, their too eager pursuits expose them to danger; and a shoal of herrings often allures them out of their depth. In such a case, the hungry animal continues to floun der in the shallows till knocked on the head, or till the returning tide seasonably comes to its relief. But