Some days ago the following singular narrative appeared in the
Berlin Gazette: it was furnished to that paper by M. Eulert, a
merchant of that city, who was himself the party principally
concerned:--
"I was travelling," says M. Eulert, "on the 20th of July, at 7
o'clock in the morning, in my carriage, accompanied by my wife, on
my way from Wirtemberg to Berlin, between Kroppstadt and the town
of Schmogelsdorf, which is contiguous to the high road; I observed
one of my horses rub himself with uneasiness against the other.
I remarked to my wife that the animal no doubt was stung by a
horse-fly. Whilst we were talking upon the subject, we were suddenly
surrounded by a swarm of bees, so thick, that our carriage horses,
coachman, my wife, and myself, were completely covered. The furious
insects attached themselves immediately to the nose, mouth, eyes and
ears of each horse; the two animals seemed to be deprived of every
sense, and as if overcome with stupor, they lay down, and stretched
themselves out an unresisting prey to the bees.
"As soon as we perceived this cloud of insects to lessen around us,
my wife threw over her hat the hood of her night cloak, got out of
the carriage, went back a little way on the road, and instinctively
fled into the ditch, where she lay down with her face to the earth.
I exerted myself in the meantime in endeavouring to get over this
disaster; I went also out of the carriage, and covering my face and
neck with my handkerchief, I re-ascended the carriage, and with all
my strength cried out for help.--Three peasants, a short distance
off, had all the while calmly observed my situation; but neither
by the offer of reward, nor by the most urgent entreaty, could I
prevail upon them to render us any assistance; they turned their
backs upon us, and pursued their way to the village. In this unhappy
plight I walked on for half an hour, when I met the road-keeper,
named Daniel Arndt, and a carrier, named David Henry, accompanied
by some labourers, and driving a cart with three horses.--Still
tormented by the bees, and pursued by them with inconceivable
bitterness, I breathed at last, and was relieved by this rencontre,
as these good people had lighted tobacco pipes, and the smoke
dispersed my disagreeable guests.
"The carrier being informed of the danger, in order not to expose
himself to it, would not stir one pace further; and as the bees
began to surround us on all sides, he unharnessed his team, left
his cart laden with goods on the road, and took a by-way in order
to place his horses under shelter in the village. Soon after the
other people accompanied me to where my horses were, and they
brought with them an abundance of hay and straw. There we found my
unfortunate coachman stretched in the ditch, his head and hands
all covered with bees, so that the road-keeper was obliged to use
a brush to get them off his face; his hair was matted with blood,
and as the insects could not be extricated, they were crushed to
death.--Whilst this operation was going on, we set fire to the
straw, and succeeded in driving away the bees.
"As soon as the carrier had placed his horses in safety, he came
back to us having fortified himself in every way against the bees,
and showed himself anxious to give all the assistance in his power
to my horses.--But one of them was so severely injured, that he died
the same day. The other was conducted to Schmogelsdorf; but though
the veterinary surgeon exhausted all his skill, the animal perished
in twenty-four hours after.
"My coachman had brought his misfortune on himself, because, in
endeavouring to succour the horses, he had lost his hat. The bees
fastened on his naked head, and deprived him of his senses, and
for forty-eight hours he remained in a state of suffering that
threatened to terminate in his death. We were supplied with horses,
and had him conveyed to Treuenbrietzen, where he recovered. He had
at first cried out so vehemently for assistance, that the bees got
into his mouth and throat. I myself passed twenty-four hours in
extreme pain at the same place, and was compelled to apply several
poultices, to my head, neck, and ears, to appease the inflammation.
"My wife, who, as if by inspiration, threw herself down into the
ditch, came out again perfectly safe--and in a few days after, the
coachman and I were at length entirely recovered.
"I attribute this accident to two causes. In the first place, I now
believe it was not a horse fly that stung the horse, as I at first
supposed, but rather the queen bee, which must have been killed when
the animal rubbed against his companion. I conjecture this to have
been the case, from the natural history of these insects; it is very
common to see a swarm of bees, when deprived of their leading queen,
unite with other swarms, and fall with a species of madness, upon
the first objects they encounter.
"In the next place, I attribute the circumstance to the fact, that,
contrary to express prohibition of the magistrates, the Commune of
Schmogelsdorf, besides its proper number of 900 hives, takes in
an equal number from the neighbouring communes to tend during the
time of swarming, because the flowers, fields and gardens which it
contains, present a singularly rich pasture for such insects. Hence
it happens, that in a small space nearly two thousand hives are
crowded together, so that in the season of swarming it is dangerous
to pass that way.
ZOOLOGY Of THE SPITZBERGEN WHALE.
Extracted from Scoresby's valuable work, "Arctic Voyages," &c. just
published.
Erroneous opinions have been entertained respecting the Whale (the
Balæna Mysticetus) having been of a much larger size in former
times than now: from a comparison of the preceding accounts of all
credible witnesses, the author says--
"Hence I conceive we may satisfactorily conclude, that whales
of as large size are found now, as at any former period since
the Spitzbergen fishery was discovered; and I may also remark,
that where any respectable authority affords actual measurements
exceeding 70 feet, it will always be found that the specimen
referred to, was not one of the Mysticetus kind, but of the B.
Physalis, or the B. Musculus, animals which considerably exceed
in length any of the common whales that I have either heard of,
or met with. When fully grown, therefore, the length of the whale
may be stated as varying from 50 to 65, and rarely, if ever,
reaching 70 feet; and its greatest circumference from 30 to 40
feet. It is thickest a little behind the fins, or in the middle,
between the anterior and posterior extremes of the animal; from
whence it gradually tapers in a conical form, towards the tail, and
slightly towards the head. Its form is cylindrical from the neck,
to within ten feet of the tail, beyond which it becomes somewhat
quadrangular, the greatest ridge being upward, or on the back, and
running backward nearly across the middle of the tail. The head has
somewhat of a triangular shape. The under-part, the arched outline
of which is given by the jaw-bones, is flat, and measures 16 to 20
feet in length, and 10 to 12 in breadth. The lips, extending 15 to
20 feet in length, and 5 or 6 in height, and forming the cavity
of the mouth, are attached to the under-jaw, and rise from the
jaw-bones, at an angle of about 80 degrees, having the appearance,
when viewed in front, of the letter U. The upper jaw, including the
'crown-bone,' or skull, is bent down at the extremity, so as to
shut the front and upper parts of the cavity of the mouth, and is
overlapped by the lips in a squamous manner at the sides. When the
mouth is open, it presents a cavity as large as a room, and capable
of containing a merchant-ship's jolly-boat, full of men, being 6 or
8 feet wide, 10 or 12 feet high (in front), and 15 or 16 feet long.
The fins, two in number, are placed between one-third and two-fifths
of the length of the animal, from the snout, and about two feet
behind the angle of the mouth. They are 7 to 9 feet in length, and
4 or 5 in breadth. The part by which they are attached to the body,
is somewhat elliptical, and about 2 feet in diameter; the side which
strikes the water is nearly flat. The articulation being perfectly
spherical, the fins are capable of motion in any direction; but,
from the tension of the flesh and skin below, they cannot be raised
above the horizontal position. Hence the account given by some
naturalists, that the whale supports its young by its fins, on its
back, must be erroneous. The fins, after death, are always hard and
stiff; but, in the living animal, it is presumed, from the nature
of the internal structure, that they are capable of considerable
flexion. The whale has no dorsal fin. The tail, comprising, in a
single surface, 80 or 100 square feet, is a formidable instrument of
motion and defence. Its length is only 5 or 6 feet; but its width is
18 to 24 or 26 feet. Its position is horizontal. In its form it is
flat and semi-lunar; indented in the middle; the two lobes somewhat
pointed, and turned a little backward. Its motions are rapid and
universal; its strength immense. The eyes are situated in the sides
of the head, about a foot obliquely above and behind the angle of
the mouth. They are remarkably small in proportion to the bulk of
the animal's body, being little larger than those of an ox. The
whale has no external ear; not can any orifice for the admission of
sound be discovered until the skin is removed.
On the most elevated part of the head, about 16 feet from the
anterior extremity of the jaw, are situated the blow-holes, or
spiracles; consisting of two longitudinal apertures 6 or eight
inches in length. These are the proper nostrils of the whale. A
moist vapour, mixed with mucus, is discharged from them, when the
animal breathes; but no water accompanies it, unless an expiration
of the breath be made under the surface.
The mouth, in place of teeth, contains two extensive rows of "fins,"
or whalebone, which are suspended from the sides of the crown-bone.
These series of fins are generally curved longitudinally, although
they are sometimes straight, and give an arched form to the roof of
the mouth.--They are covered immediately by the lips attached to the
lower jaw, and enclose the tongue between their lower extremities.
Each series or "side of bone," as the whalefishers term it, consists
of upwards of 300 laminæ; the longest are near the middle, from
whence they gradually diminish away to nothing at each extremity.
Fifteen feet is the greatest length of the whalebone; but 10 or
11 feet is the average size, and 13 feet is a magnitude seldom
met with. The greatest breadth, which is at the gum, is 10 or 12
inches. The laminæ, composing the two series of bone, are ranged
side by side, two thirds of an inch apart, (thickness of the blade
included,) and resemble a frame of saws, in a saw-mill. The interior
edges are covered with a fringe of hair, and the exterior edge of
every blade, excepting a few at each extremity of the series, is
curved and flattened down, so as to present a smooth surface to
the lips. In some whales, a curious hollow on one side, and ridge
on the other, occurs in many of the central blades of whalebone,
at regular intervals of 6 or 7 inches.--May not this irregularity,
like the rings in the horns of the ox, which they resemble, afford
an intimation of the age of the whale? If so, twice the number of
running feet in the longest laminæ of whalebone in the head of a
whale not full grown, would represent its age in years. In the
youngest whales, called _suckers_, the whalebone is only a few
inches long; when the length reaches 6 feet or upwards, the whale is
said to be _size_. The colour of the whalebone is brownish-black,
or bluish-black. In some animals, it is striped longitudinally
with white. When newly cleaned, the surface exhibits a fine play
of colour. A large whale sometimes affords a ton and a half of
whalebone. If the "sample blade," that is, the largest lamina in
the series, weigh 7 pounds, the whole produce may be estimated
at a ton; and so on in proportion. The whalebone is inserted into
the crown-bone, in a sort of rabbet. All the blades in the same
series are connected together by the gum, in which the thick ends
are inserted. This substance, (the gum,) is white, fibrous, tender,
and tasteless. It cuts like cheese. It has the appearance of the
interior or kernel of the cocoa-nut.
The tongue occupies a large proportion of the cavity of the mouth,
and the arch formed by the whalebone. It is incapable of protrusion,
being fixed from root to tip, to the fat extending between the
jaw-bones.--A slight beard, consisting of a short scattered white
hair, surmounts the anterior extremity of both jaws. The throat is
remarkably strait.
Two paps in the female, afford the means of rearing its young. The
milk of the whale resembles that of quadrupeds in its appearance. It
is said to be rich and well-flavoured.
Immediately beneath the skin lies the _blubber_ or fat, encompassing
the whole body of the animal, together with the fins and tail. Its
colour is yellowish-white, yellow, or red. In the very young animal
it is always yellowish-white. In some old animals, it resembles
in colour the substance of the salmon. It swims in water. Its
thickness all round the body, is 8 or 10 to 20 inches, varying in
different parts as well as in different individuals. The lips are
composed almost entirely of blubber, and yield from one to two
tons of pure oil each. The tongue is chiefly composed of a soft
kind of fat, that affords less oil than any other blubber; in the
centre of the tongue, and towards the root, this fat is intermixed
with fibres of a muscular substance. The under jaw, excepting the
two jaw-bones, consists almost wholly of fat; and the crown-bone
possesses a considerable coating of it. The fins are principally
blubber, tendons, and bones; and the tail possesses a thin stratum
of blubber. The oil appears to be retained in the blubber in minute
cells, connected together by a strong reticulated combination of
tendinous fibres. The blubber, in its fresh state, is without any
unpleasant smell; and it is not until after the termination of the
voyage, when the cargo is unstowed, that a Greenland ship becomes
disagreeable.
Four tons of blubber by measure, generally afford three tons of oil;
but the blubber of a sucker contains a very small proportion. Whales
have been caught that afforded nearly thirty tons of pure oil;
and whales yielding twenty tons of oil, are by no means uncommon.
The quantity of oil yielded by a whale, generally bears a certain
proportion to the length of its longest blade of whalebone.
A stout whale of sixty feet in length, is of the enormous weight of
seventy tons; the blubber weighs about thirty tons, the bones of
the head, whalebone, fins and tail, eight or ten; carcase thirty or
thirty-two.
The flesh of the young whale is of a red colour; and when cleared of
fat, broiled, and seasoned with pepper and salt, does not eat unlike
coarse beef; that of the old whale approaches to black, and is
exceedingly coarse.--An immense bed of muscles surrounding the body,
is appropriated chiefly to the movements of the tail.
The number of ribs, according to Sir Charles Giesecké, is thirteen
on each side. The bones of the fins are analogous, both in
proportion and number, to those of the fingers of the human hand.
From this peculiarity of structure, the fins have been denominated
by Dr. Flemming, "swimming paws." The posterior extremity of the
whale, however, is a real tail; the termination of the spine or
coccygis, running through the middle of it almost to the edge.
The whale seems dull of hearing. A noise in the air, such as that
produced by a person shouting, is not noticed by it, though at the
distance only of a ship's length; but a very slight splashing in
the water, in calm weather, excites its attention, and alarms it.
Its sense of seeing is acute. Whales are observed to discover one
another, in clear water, when under the surface, at an amazing
distance. When at the surface, however, they do not see far. They
have no voice; but in breathing or _blowing_, they make a very loud
noise. The vapour they discharge, is ejected to the height of some
yards, and appears at a distance, like a puff of smoke. When the
animals are wounded, it is often stained with blood; and, on the
approach of death, jets of blood are sometimes discharged alone.
They blow strongest, densest, and loudest, when, "running," when in
a state of alarm, or when they first appear at the surface, after
being a long time down. They respire or blow about four or five
times a-minute.
The usual rate at which whales swim, even when they are on their
passage from one situation to another, seldom exceeds four miles an
hour; and though when urged by the sight of any enemy, or alarmed
by the stroke of a harpoon, their extreme velocity may be at the
rate of eight or nine miles an hour: yet we find this speed never
continues longer than for a few minutes, before it relaxes almost to
one-half. Hence, for the space of a few minutes, they are capable
of darting through the water, with the velocity almost of the
fastest ship under sail, and of ascending with such rapidity as to
leap entirely out of the water. This feat they sometimes perform
as an amusement apparently, to the high admiration of the distant
spectator; but to the no small terror of the unexperienced fishers
who, even under such circumstances, are often ordered, by the
foolhardy harpooner, to "pull away" to the attack. Sometimes the
whales throw themselves into a perpendicular posture, with their
heads downward, and, rearing their tails on high in the air, beat
the water with awful violence.--In both these cases, the sea is
thrown into foam, and the air filled with vapours; the noise, in
calm weather, is heard to a great distance; and the concentric waves
produced by the concussions on the water, are communicated abroad
to a considerable extent. Sometimes the whale shakes its tremendous
tail in the air, which, cracking like a whip, resounds to the
distance of two or three miles.
When it retires from the surface, it first lifts its head, then
plunging it under water, elevates its back like the segment of a
sphere, deliberately rounds it away towards the extremity, throws
its tail out of the water, and then disappears.
In their usual conduct, whales remain at the surface to breathe,
about two minutes, seldom longer; during which time, they "blow"
eight or nine times, and then descend for an interval usually of
five or ten minutes; but sometimes, when feeding, fifteen or twenty.
The depth to which they commonly descend, is not known, though from
the "eddy" occasionally observed on the water, it is evidently, at
times, only trifling. But, when struck, the quantity of line they
sometimes take out of the boats, in a perpendicular descent, affords
a good measure of the depth. By this rule, they have been known to
descend to the depth of an English mile; and with such velocity,
that instances have occurred, in which whales have been drawn up by
the line attached, from a depth of 700 or 800 fathoms, and have been
found to have broken their jaw-bones, and sometimes crown-bone, by
the blow struck against the bottom. Some persons are of opinion,
that whales can remain under a field of ice, or at the bottom of
the sea, in shallow water, when undisturbed, for many hours at a
time.--Whales are seldom found sleeping: yet, in calm weather, among
ice, instances occasionally occur.
The food of the whale consists of various species of actiniæ,
cliones, sepiæ, medusæ, cancri, and helices; or at least some of
these genera are always to be seen whenever any tribe of whales
is found stationary and feeding. In the dead animals, however, in
the very few instances in which I have been enabled to open their
stomachs, squillæ or shrimps were the only substances discovered.
In the mouth of a whale just killed, I once found a quantity of the
same kind of insect.
When the whale feeds, it swims with considerable velocity below the
surface of the sea, with its jaws widely extended. A stream of water
consequently enters its capacious mouth, and along with it, large
quantities of water insects; the water escapes again at the sides;
but the food is entangled and sifted as it were, by the whalebone,
which, from its compact arrangement, and the thick internal covering
of hair, does not allow a particle the size of the smallest grain to
escape.