The Sun.
London, England, 1825-05-09 00:00:00

MERCANTILE SHIPPING.

DEAL, MAY B.—Wind S.W.—Arrived, and sailed for the
River, the Fairlie, Aldham, from India ; Petritt, Cross, from
Pernambuco; Betsey;
chael's; and Donor, —, from the Mediterranean. Passed
throtigh from the River the Vere, Allen, for Alexandria, and
Olive Branch, Anderson, for the Cape of Good Hope.
PORTSAIOU TH, MAY B.—Wind S.W. blowing strong.—
Arrived his Majesty's ship Brazen, from a cruize. Sailed the
George Canning, Parratt, and Editha, Benson, for London,
after being released from quarantine.
PLYMOUTH, MAY 7.--Wind S.—Artived the Hensley,
Hannell, from Lisbon in 11 days ; Dart, Roberts, from London
for ha Guayra. Sailed the transport, No. 10, for Rio Janeiro.
FALMOUTH, MAY 7. —Wind S.S.W. strong breezes.—At-
rived the Camden packet, from Buenos Ayres, sailed the 22d of
February, and Monte Video the 28th ; Sandwich packet, from
Lisbon in seven days. OtTthe Port, the William Gult, Walsh,
from St. Domingo, sailed the 24th March. Sailed the Unity,
Worth, for Quebec, and Dolphin, Dunley, for St. John's,
Newfoundland.
LI v ERPOOL, MAY 7.—Wind W.S.W.—Arrived the Calpe,
Jack, from Leghorn ; Vigilant, , from Lisbon ; Prince
' Regent, Benson from Faro ; Stadt, —_—, from Wismar ;
' Edward, Howard,' and Farmer, Newcombe, from New York ;
Fearson, Burton, from Leghorn ; Douro, Bell, from Oporto ;
and James and Jane, Beard, from Sierra Leone, sailed the 23d
of February.
COWES, MAY 8.--Wind S.S.W.—Arrived the Marshal
Blucher, Davis ; and Prosperity, Duke, from St. Michael's ;
Hudson, Champlin, from London for New York.

Arrived off the Wight, the Burleigh, Chancellor, from Sierra
cone.

A PRODIGIOUS WHALE.

Extract of a private letter from Hull, dated May 4, says—
" Information having been obtained here some days ago, that a
large u hale had been washed ashore on the Holderness coast,
and had attracted many visitors, all of whom returning with one
statement of the vast magnitude of this unexpected visitor, de-
termined me to visit the spot early this morning, as I had un-
derstood that preparations had been already commenced for
flinching.' Every statement that I had heard with respect to
this Leviathan of the deep,' proved correct. I found, upon my
arrival on the coast, at about equal distances from Tunstall and
a male animal of the macrocephalus or blunt-headed
cachalot species, measuring upwards of 62 feet, and which, I
learnt, had first been observed on Thursday evening, floating
dead, off the Mouth of the Humber, and was left in its present
position at, or nearly, to high water-mark on Friday morning.
I am not able at present to furnish you with the measurement
of the head, which is of a most enormous size, nor indeed of
any of the other parts. I found that the carving work had
already begun. and a considerable portion of the head was
taken off. The thickness of the blubber in general, at this
pint, exceeded six inches; but when the knives of the opera-
tors stuck into any of the cavities in which the spermaceti is
contained, the great quantity of it, in a liquid state, that pre-
sented itself, was truly astonishing. This, in a very short
time after exposition to the air, coagulated, and I found that
the thermometer, after being plunged into it in a liquid state,
being continued in it for a short time, rose-to 79. The ther-
mometer exhibiting 56 Farenheit in the external air, no ma-
nifestation of change was exhibited by introducing it into
the cavity from which the eye had been recently removed.-
-So little is known of the natural history of the whale, that I
hope an opportunity will now be presented to Dr. Harwood
(wha I know has long wished for it) to pursue his inquiries in
this highly interesting subject, as I understand the lungs,
heart, &c.. are to be presented to Mr. Sawyer, an eminent sur-
geon of Hedon. The eye has been given to Dr. Alderson, of
this place, and the Lord of the Manor, Mr. Clifford, I am happy
to state, intends to have the entire skeleton put together, and
kept in the family mansion at Burton Constable. That he may
succeed in this•l sincerely wish, but I must be permitted to ex-
press my doubts of its practicability. I forgot to state, that
Capt. Scoresby, the elder, informed me that this is the largest
whale he ever saw. There is one mark of the harpoon, but it
seems certain that that has not been the cause of death. This
will be ascertained shortly, and as it is the general opinion that
sickness was the cause, a considerable quantity of ambergris is
expected to be found, the presence of which is considered an
undoubted proof of it."