unded on their sides, so as to present one of their
udders to them, clear of the water. This was squeezed by four men, and
the contents received into a large pail, composed of the bones of a
whale, neatly hooped together by the same substance.

As soon as the breast of the animal was empty, with a lash of its tail
it recovered the deep water, and swam round and round in small circles,
near to the spot.

"We always leave one breast for the calf," observed my host; "when they
are all milked, I shall open the pen and let the mothers in."

"What are those enormous whales which are playing at a distance?"

"They are our whale oxen," answered my host; "we find that they grow to
an enormous size. Our houses are built of their skins."

"Is that a dead whale on the beach?"

"It is one of our whale boats," replied he, "but formed, as you
supposed, from the skin of a whale, hardened by frequent applications of
oil and lime. We use them to catch the whales when we want them."

"You do not use the harpoon, then?"

"Only when we kill; in general we noose the tail, and fasten the rope to
one of these boats, which are so buoyant, that the whale cannot take it
down, and soon tires with his own exertions. I am now speaking of the
males reserved for breeding, or strange whales, who sometimes find their
way into our lake during the winter: our own are so domesticated from
their infancy, that we have little trouble with them; but it is time
that we return."

"Here," observed any host, as we passed a whale-house, "is one of our
manufactories; we will step in. This is the common stuff of the
country, which is used for partitions in houses, etcetera. This is a
finer sort, such as I wear at present. Here we have the skin of the
whale calf, which is usually worn by the women. This is the most
expensive article of our manufactures; it is the belly-part of the
calf's skin, which being white, admits of a dye from the murex--a shell
fish, very common on our shores."

"Have you money?" inquired I.

"None--we exchange; but the chief article of exchange, and which serves
as money, is the whale cheese, which keeps for years, and improves in
quality. That fine cloth is worth eight new cheeses a square yard,
which is very dear."

We arrived at the house, where we found our repast ready; an excellent
stew received my commendation.

"It is one of our favourite dishes," replied my host; "it is made of
lizards' tails."

"Lizards' ta