ing on a life boat; for if the God of heaven, in his mercy, did not inspire men with more than common courage, they would never face such dangers to save their fellow men.

It

A diving bell is very useful in preparing the rock to build a lighthouse on it, as well as in recovering property from ships sunk to the bottom of the sea, and as I said before, I will describe it in my Tales of Great Britain. enables a man to go down to any depth in the water and to remain there as long as he likes, being supplied with fresh air from above, by means of a forcing pipe: weights are placed at the bottom of it, to prevent it from turning.

Well, now let us go back to the whales. You see how I roam from one subject to another, but this is better than tiring you with one thing.

CHAP. XLI.

PARLEY TELLS OF THE GRAMPUSES, INCLUDING THE SWORDGRAMPUS,

Most likely you never heard so much of whales. before, as you have heard from Peter Parley.

There is a kind of whale which is classed with the dolphin. All whales may be called dolphins, and all dolphins whales. The whole together are whale-like fishes.

In the common opinion, at present, there are, in all, four species of the whale called grampus.

My opinion is, that in these matters man's knowledge must always be imperfect, on account of the slight acquaintance he has with the productions of the sea. If we could explore every part, and be able to see all the fishes of the

Is the grampus a kind of whale?
Is it called a kind of dolphin?

ocean, instead of four species of grampus whales, there might be four and twenty.

All the grampuses are, among other things, remarkable for a large and lofty fin upon their backs; but, according to some accounts, while, in one species, the height of this back fin is equal to no more than one tenth of the whole length of the fish; in another species that height is doubled, or equal to a whole fifth of the fish's length.

But the back fin of the grampus, besides its use in the act of swimming, is also a very important instrument (answering to a hand) for the procuring of food; and also a very formidable weapon, either for defensive or offensive war, and for the attack and destruction of powerful fishes, destined as the grampus's prey.

The fin is firm in substance, and sharp-edged; and, from its figure, is likened, in all the grampuses, to a sword; or, from the convexity of that figure, more especially to a scimitar.

The common length of the sword-grampus is from twenty-three to twenty-five feet; though this measure, is sometimes exceeded; and the fin (or sword) upon its back, is from four to five feet high, about eighteen inches broad at its base, and gradually tapering upward to a point.

The prevailing colours of this fish are a shining brownish black upon its upper or back parts; while the fore part of the under jaw, and a little of the belly, are white; with a remarkable streak of black upon each side, running upward from the tail nearly to the joints of the breast fins.

The species, we are told, is found about the Arctic or Northern Ocean, and particularly in and near Davis's Strait, and other parts of the coast of North America; about the island of Spitzbergen, and in all parts of the North Sea, in Europe; and is occasionally seen about the

What of the sword-grampus?

coasts of Holland, France, and England; sometimes (though very rarely, but in common with other grampuses, and with porpoises) entering the Thames, and ascending that river to the neighbourhood of London Bridge.

In the year 1793, a shoal of six sword-grampuses came up the Thames as high as Blackwall; where, however, many boats were speedily manned with experienced whale-fishers, well provided with harpoons and lines. Such, however, proved to be the activity and strength of the species, that while five escaped their pursuers, swimming down the river again into the sea; one, though carrying in its body three harpoons, dragged the boat in which was the line attached to one of them, (and which contained, besides, four men,) once from Blackwall to Deptford and back; twice to Greenwich and back; and only finally died, from exhaustion,

Have sword-grampuses been seen in the river Thames?