TWo Friends of mine did me the favour to ſhew me their Letters received laſt Monday from Sutton near Wisbich, in Lincoln-ſhire, from William Hide, Eſq where he gives an account, That on Tueſday, March 14. 1692/3 was taken in his Lordſhip, called Sutton▪ Waſh, a Whale 74 foot long, whoſe Mouth open'd 15 Foot wide, capable to receive a Coach and Six Horſes. He ſent ſome Stuff taken out from the bottom of the great Whalebone▪Finns in his Mouth, which I tryed, and it will yield no Oyl, and is not Sperma Caeti. He deſires to know where the Sperma Caeti lies, in what places the Whalebone grows, and whither any part be Whalebone, other than the Finn; and whether any thing can be made of him beſide the Blubber, Whalebone, and Sperma Caeti; and whether the Brains be not Sperma Caeti. An Anſwer to which I give as follows:

This Whale is a very large one, according to the beſt of my remembrance, fourteen Foot longer than that taken by Sir Anthony Dean, in 1658 one of the Ribs whereof I believe is in the Court-yard at St. James's; for I think Sir Anthony Dean told me that Whale was but Sixty Foot long. I find in Purchas's, Pilgrims, Vol. 1, pag. 420. mention of a Whale the Seamen judged to be One Hundred Tune in weight.

In Vol. 2. pag. 772. he ſpeaks of a Temple whoſe Rafters and Beams were of Whalebone; and the Relator was ſhewn a Whales Rib of ſo great a ſize, that lying on the Ground, with the Convex or howing ſide upward, in manner of an Arch, it reſembled a Gate, the hollow or inward part whereof aloft they could not touch with their Heads, as they rode upon their Camels backs. This Rib the Native ſaid had lain there an hundred Years.

In Vol. 3. pag. 737. there is a Whale deſcribed, taken in the Iſle of Thanet in Kent, July. the 9th. 1574. ſhooting himſelf on Shore, beſide Rammeſgate, about ſix at Night, and died about ſix next Morning, before which time he Roared, and was heard more than a mile on the Land. The length was Twenty Two yards; the neither Jaw Seventy Two Foot in the opening. One of his Eyes (which, in the Greenland VVhale is not much greater than that of an Oxe) was more than ſix Horſes in a Cart could draw. A Man ſtood upright in the place whence the Eye was taken. The thickneſs from his back whereon he lay, to his Belly was 14 Foot; his Tail of the ſame breadth: Three Men ſtood upright in his Mouth: Betwixt his Eyes 12 Foot: Some of the Ribs 16 Foot long: The Tongue 15 Foot long: His Liver two Cartloads; Into his Noſtrils any Man might have crept: The Oyl of his Head, Sperma Caeti, &e.

In the ſame Vol. p. 470. is the Deſcription of ſeveral ſorts and mnaner of killing them; an Epitome whereof take as follows.

The Whale is a Fiſh about 65 Foot long, and 35 Foot thick, his Head a Third of his Body's Quantity, his Mouth containing a very great Tongue, and all his Finns.

Theſe Finns are rooted in his upper Chap, and ſpread over his Tongue on both ſides his Mouth, being 250 on each ſide. The longeſt Finns are plac'd in the midſt of his Mouth, and the reſt ſhorten by degrees backward and forward, from ten or eleven Foot long to four Inches in length: His Eye as big as an Oxes, and the former great Eye mentioned in the Margin: His Body almoſt round forward, growing ſtill narrower towards his Tayl from his Body: His Tayl is above twenty Foot broad, of a tough ſolid Subſtance, as are his two ſwimming Finns, and they grow forward.

He comes often above Water, ſpouting eight or nine times before his return; whereby he may be ſeen two or three Leagues off. Then they make to him, catch him, kill him, and order him for a Market, as may there be ſeen at large.

There are deſcribed eight ſorts of Whales: The Grand Bay, which is black, with a ſmooth Skin, and white underneath the Chaps. The beſt for Oyl and Finns (the older the better.] This ſort yields above 100 Hogſheads of Oyl, and 500 Finns.

2. The Sarda, of the ſame colour, but leſs, yielding leſſer Finns, and about 70 or 80 Hogſheads of Oyl. This hath naturally growing on his Back white things like Barnacles.

3. The Trumpa, as long as the firſt, but thicker forwards, of colour more Gray, having but one Spout in his Head, and the reſt have all two. He hath Teeth as thick as a Man's Wriſt, a Span long, but no Finns: His Head is bigger than the two former, and in proportion far bigger than his Body. In his Head is the Sperma caeti, which lyeth in a hole like a Well; he yields about forty Hogſheads of Oyl, beſide the Sperma caeti.

4. The Otta Sotta, of the ſame colour with the Trumpa, having white Finns in his Mouth, but not above half Yard long, thicker than the Trumpa, but ſhorter: He yields the beſt Oyl, but not above thirty Hogſheads.

5. The Gibarta, black like the two firſt, having a Finn ſtanding on the top of his Back half Yard long: He is as big as the firſt: His Finns little or nothing worth, being not above half a Yard long: He yields about twelve Hogſheads of Oyl from his Back, but his Belly yields none.

6. The Sedena, being of a whitely colour, and bigger than any of the former: The Finns not above one Foot long, and yields little or no Oyl.

7. The Sedena Negro, black, with a Bump on his Back, he yields neither Oyl, Finns, nor Teeth, and yet is of great bigneſs.

8. The Sewria, as white as Snow, of the bigneſs of a Wherry: yields but one or two Hogsheads of Oyl, nor any Finns, and is good Meat.

In the ſaid Third Vol. p. 649. is mention of a Whale thirty Ells long, and his heighth more than a warlike Pike.

In another place, 'tis ſaid the Whales cry in Engendring; and I am told they give ſuck, and are Viviparous (bringers forth alive.)

The Whalebone, or Finn grows no where but in the Mouth, and I am told the uſe of it to the Whale is as a Weare, which he can lay cloſe and widen, that Fiſh may get in, but then letting them looſe, they lie together, and let no Fiſh go back, and ſo gets his living.

The Fleſh of him will be excellent Manure for Land, and his Ribs, other Bones, ſwimming Finns, and Tayl, will be Curioſities for after Ages; and if a Preſent were made to the Royal Society, I believe 'twould be very acceptable.

The great Eye is not much ſtranger than the Fiſh; but I give the Account faithfully, believe as you pleaſe. I am told there are many more ſorts of Whales.

If this finds a kind Acceptance, Accounts of other ſtrange things may hereafter be given by