The Sperm Whales Are Often Embraced in Large Herds

Many sperm whales have been captured off the western coast of java. They are now frequently met with in extensive herds, sometimes embracing so great a multitude that it would almost seem as if numerous nations of them had sworn solemn league and covenant for mutual assistance and protection. The single forward, slanting spout of the sperm whale presents thick, curled bush of white mist, continually rising and falling away to leeward. Unlike the straight, perpendicular twin jets of the right whale, which, dividing at top, fall over into two branches like the cleft, drooping boughs of a willow. This host of vapory spouts individually curling up into the air and beheld through