The Polynesian., 1841-06-26
y. JARvES, Editor.
kom Hunts Merchants Magazine for Nov lS4O I
STIiE AMERICAN WHALE FISHERY. +

II.
U5nstiutes the principal object pursued
by The whale fishery, is of the largest
c1M. Many which were taken in 1861,
ikthe Gulf of st. Lawrence, it is stated,
reduced two hundred and thirty barrels
foil; and as the ships then employed
did hot exceed sixty tons burden, the cap
ture of single whale constituted full
cssYo. The bone from a whale of this
sise, sometimes weighed 5000 pounds,
soch of which was worth a dollar, and the
49, were frequently ten feet in length.
Their food consists of a species of animal
not larger than spider, and similar i'm
form, called bret" which swim near the
surface of the water, and tnge it for acres
with a reddish cast. The difference be-
tween the right whale and the sperm is
noticed at distance by the manner of its
spout for while the tight whale has two
spout holes, and throws the water in two
perpendicuar streams, that widen as they
rise, which is also true of the hump
back" and the " back" the sperm
whale spouis in single stream, that is
thrown forward from its head, at an angle
Of about forty-fve degrees.
A sperm whale, of the length Of sixty
feet, usually has body, the largest part
Of which is about twcnty-lour teet in cir
cumfercnce while the distance from one
point of the tail to the other is not less
than seven feet. The length of the fin of
| whalc of this size, is about three feet
&nd q half, and fourteen feet will scarcely
measure the length of the jaw-bone. The
spout holes, or nosrils, are situated about
ten inches from the end of the nose
From that point to the eyes, the distance
y not less than fourteen feet. The color
cf the skin is dark, being about the thick
ness of one inch, the b)ubber on the ribs
! haiog five inches, and that upon the breast
| nine inches, the proportion of the blubber
hang about one sixth part of the whole Of
NJ animal.
The sperm whale, which it is well
nown is the most valuable species con-
ected with this traffic, we shall now con-
\ der. The head of this animal, consti-
!nting one third part of the size of the
ody, exhibits a very blunt appearance,
With front like the breakwater of a ship,
and at its junction with the neck is large
hump or bunch, which the whalcrs call
"the bunch of the neck" Here, at what
might be denominated in a quadruped the
shoulder, we find the thickest part of the
body maintaining that bulk for about
one third of its length, it reaches what is
alled the "small," or beginning of the
I'll Here hump is also seen, and from
Ut point smaller series of ridges runs
IN towards the extremity, which, at
o commencement of the ''hukes" or
o11leme fins of the tail, is not larger than
,body of a man. The "hukes con-
pf two triangular fins, about six feet
and twelve or fourteen feet broad in
of the largest size, that would APP
like the tail of a fish, were it not that
ep undula,ion is perceived between
!, and that their position is horizontal.
great power of the muscles which
ect them with the main body, and
: act that they can be moved with ease
be whale, render them formidable
bon of defence, and an object of ter
the whaleman, who often becomes