The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-07-30
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
From the Vineyard Gazette.l
The w hale.


The Whale, is the general name of an order of
animals inhabiting the ocean, arranged in zoology
Under the name of Cete or Cetace, and belonging to
the class -hammaIiG in the Linnean system. This
animal is named whale from roundness or from
rolling.
While living in part or wholly in the ocean, it
differs IN many important respects from the fish
tribes, and 1t Is these reculiarities which render it a
link between the creature of the land and of the sea-
While it has the power of Iocomotion in the water like
other fishes, yet IN other particulars, ii has no affinity
with them; it is as much a mammal as the OK, or the
elephant, or the horse; having warm blood, breathing
AIR, bringing forth living young, and sucking them
with true milk
The whale is the largest Of all known animals.
Some remarks upon the whale and its varieties will
form the subject of the present chapter
The SPERa WHALE-The CacheIot or Physcter
-nacTocephaluS. The principal species are the black
headed with a dorsal fin, and the round headed,
without a Tin on the back, and with fstula in the
snout. This whale Is known at a distance by the
peculiarIty OF his "spOuting' or elbows" He can
be easily detected by whalemen, if he happens to be
IN company with other species of whales. He blows
the water or vapour from his nostrils in a single
column, to the height perhaps of II feet, inclining in
n forward direction, in an angle of forty-fye degrees
with the horizon, and visible for several miles. There
Is also a wonderful regularity as to time in which ne
"blows," perhaps once in ten minutes. He remains
on the surface OF the water from 45 to 60 minutes,
ard under water about the same time. Unless the
whale Is frightened, whalemen make quite correct
calculation as to the chances of overtaking him, or
meeting him, or when he Will rise to the surface after
he has ''turned fukes."
When the sperm whale is near he can he easily
distinguished by the form of his head, unlike any
other variety Of whale. Its head is enormous in
bulk, being fully more than one third of the whole
length OF its body, and it ends like all abrupt and
steep promontory, and so hard for several feet from
Its front, that it IS quite difficult, if not imposs;ble
for an iron to enter it; as impervious indeed to a har-
poon, as "a bale of cotton.
Besides the sperm whale has a hump on his back.
which distinguishes him from others. This hump is
farther forward than the hump on the Finback whale.
sperm whales have been captured from 20 to 90
feet In length, and from 80 10 As feet in circumference
round the largest part of their bodies. II is supposed
ny whalemen from their appearance, that they live, or
some Of them at least, to a great aye. One writer on
TINS subject, thought that the sperm whale would
attain the age Of many hundred years, and even to a
thousand years This, however, is mere conjecture,
because there are no dates or facts, upon which to
found q correct opinion.
Some whales have been taken. having their teeth
worn OF level with the gums; and then again, in
other instances, part of their teeth have been broken
on, OF torn out by some violent effort.
Inc wnoie number Of teeth in a sperm whale is
ABOUT forty-two; they are wholly in the lower jaw,
which alone Is movable. with the exception of a
natural movement of the entire head of the fish.
The teeth admirably fit into sockets in the upper
Jaw When the whale is in search for his food. or
contending with his foes, he drops his lower Jaw if he
Sees Mt, nearly 10 n right angle with the under part
OF his body, and then brings his jaws together with
Incredible energy and quickness.
Sperm whales engage in fearful and dreadful
struggles and conflicts with each other. One WAS
captured a few years since, having his lower jaw,
which was more than Is feet long and studded with
sharp pointed teeth, fsristed entirely around at a
right angle with his body; he was swimming in that
manner when he was harpooned. This was an in
stance OF a most desperate encounter. Another whale
was captured having n part Of his enormous Jaw
broken entirely of. The front and sides of their heads
as well as their bodies not unfreouently exhibit deep
lines or burrows, produced by the teeth of some
powerful antagonist.
1t Is supposed, that as the sperm whale advances
IN age, his head not only retains its ordinary propor-
tons, and TO appearance becomes enlarged; but the
truth Is, the other parts of his body, especially his
extremities, do actually diminish in bulk and circum-
ference.
In some instances, more oil has been taken out of
the head Of a sperm whale than from the other part
of his body.
The principal food of the sperm whale is sssauid, -
q moluscus animal. "This is an animal of so curl
Gus an order as to merit n word of special notice.
The principal popularity of this moluscus tribe is the
possession of powerful tantacula OF arms. ranged
round the mouth and provided with suckers which
give them the power of adhering to rocks, or any
other substances with surprising tenacity. Some Of
TINS tribe attain TO a great size; and as large as the
whale Il, viii furnish it with no contemplate mouth
full In the gullet Of one sperm whale, an arm OF
tantaculum of a sea-squid was found, measuring
nearly twenty-seven feet long"
Whaleman frequently discover large masses or
tunks OF squid footing about, probably torn in pieces