1. Gi-gan'tic, very large.

LESSON LIII.

Spell and Define.

2. Or'gan-iz-ed, formed with organs. 3. Em'u-late, to strive to equal.

6. Con'ic-al, like a cone.

6. Cyl-in'dric-al, like a cylinder.

6. Quad-ran'gu-lar, having four corners. 7. Tri-an'gu-lar, having three angles.

8. Squa'mous, pertaining to scales.

8. Jolly-boat, the small boat of a ship 9. An-te'ri-or, foremost in place.

9. Lon-gi-tu'din-al, pertaining to length. 12. E-ject'ed, thrown out.

15. Ma-ter'nal, motherly.

15. Har-poon'ed, struck with a harpoor..

ERRORS.1. Dis-cribe for de-scribe; 1. crea'tur for creat'ure; 1. un-sat-isfac'try for un-sat-is-fac'to-ry; 4. judg'munt for judgment; 6. co'nic-al for con'ic-al, 8. ca'per-ble for ca'pa-ble; 9. ap'er-tchures for ap'er-tures; 9. nors'trul for nos'. tril; 14. gar'lons for gallons.

THE WHALE.

J. D. GODMAN.

1. In attempting to describe a creature so gigantic and surpassing in strength as the whale, we deeply feel the want of language suitable to our purpose, and vainly endeavor to remove this difficulty by resorting to comparisons scarcely less inadequate, or conveying at best, but vague and unsatisfactory ideas.

2. Sublime in magnitude, among organized and animated beings, the whale is adapted, in all his attributes, to the fathomless and illimitable waters, which he is destined to inhabit. Contrasted with other animals, his strength as far transcends their greatest exertions, as the irresistible heavings of the mighty deep exceed the harmless rippling of a sylvan

stream.

3. It is only by successive approaches and detailed examination, that we can arrive at a proper conception of this animal; and, therefore, the statements which are freest from attempts to emulate, by ambitious style, the magnitude of the subject, will lead us to the most satisfactory conclusions.

NOTE. The whale differs from quadrupeds only in the organs of motion, which are fins instead of legs. It cannot properly be called a fish, and is ranked among the mammalia, or animals that suckle their young.

4. But large as the whale certainly is, it has been much overrated; for such is the avidity with which the human mind receives communications of the marvelous, and such the interest attached to those researches, which describe any remote and extraordinary production of nature, that the judg ment of the traveler receives a bias, which, in case of doubt, induces him to fix upon the extreme point in his opinion, which is calculated to afford the greatest surprise and interest.

5. The length of the whale, when fully grown, may be stated as varying from fifty to sixty-five feet; very rarely, if ever, reaching seventy. The greatest circumference is from thirty to forty feet, and the weight sixty or seventy tons.

6. It is thickest a little behind the fins, or in the middle 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.

7. The head has somewhat of a triangular shape, and the under part, the arched outline of which is given by the jawbones, is flat, measuring from sixteen to twenty feet in length, and from ten to twelve feet in breadth. The lips, extending fifteen or twenty feet in length and five or six in height, and forming the cavity of the mouth, are attached to the under jaw, and rise from the jaw-bones, giving the appearance, when viewed in front, of the letter U.

8. 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

NOTES.a Whales are most numerous and of the largest size in the waters about Greenland, in Baffin's and Hudson's Bays, and in the ocean north of Bhering's Straits. b Whalebone, so much used for umbrellas, stays, &c., is taken from the upper jaw of the whale, where it adheres in thin plates varying from three to twelve feet in length.

open, it presents a cavity as large as a room, and capable of containing a merchant ship's jolly-boat full of men, being six or eight feet wide, ten or twelve feet high in front, and fifteen or sixteen feet long.

9. On the most elevated part of the head, about sixteen feet from the anterior extremity of the jaw, are situated two blow-holes, or spiracles, consisting of two longitudinal apertures six or eight inches in length. These are the proper nostrils of the whale. A moist vapor, mixed with mucus, is discharged from them when the animal breathes; but no water accompanies it, unless the expiration of the breath is made under the surface.

10. 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.

11. The depth to which they 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 a mile.

12. They have no voice, but in breathing or blowing, they make a very loud noise. The vapor they discharge is ejected to the height of some yards, and appears at a distance like a puff of smoke. They blow strongest, densest, and loudest when running. When in a state of alarm, or when they first appear at the surface after having been a long time down, they respire or blow about four or five times a minute.

13. Immediately beneath the skin, lies the blubber of fat, encompassing the whole body of the animal. Its color is yellowish white, yellow, or red. Its thickness all around the

body, is eight or ten or twenty inches, varying in different parts, as well as in different individuals.

14. The lips are composed almost entirely of fat, and yield from two hundred and fifty to five hundred gallons of oil each. and the entire whale has sometimes yielded seven thousand five hundred gallons of oil; five thousand gallons are, by no means, an uncommon yield.

15. The maternal affection of the whale, which, in other respects, is apparently a stupid animal, is striking and interesting. The cub being insensible to danger, is easily harpooned; when the tender attachment of the mother is so manifested, as not unfrequently to bring her within the reach of the whalers.

16. Hence, though the cub is of little value, seldom producing above two hundred and fifty gallons of oil, and often less, yet it is sometimes struck, as a snare for its mother.

17. In this case, she joins it at the surface of the water, whenever it has occasion to rise for respiration; encourages it to swim off; assists its flight by taking it under her fin, and seldom deserts it while life remains. She is then dangerous to approach, but affords frequent opportunities for attack.

18. She loses all regard for her own safety in anxiety for the preservation of her young; dashes through the midst of her enemies; despises the danger that threatens her, and even voluntarily remains with her offspring, after various attacks on herself from the harpoons of the fishermen.

QUESTIONS. 2. How does the whale differ from quadrupeds? 2. Can it properly be called a fish? 4. Where are the largest whales found? 5. What is the length of the whale when fully grown? 5. What is its circumference? 5. What its weight? 6. What is the form of the whale? 7. What are the length and breadth of the under part of the head? 8. From what part of the whale is whalebone obtained? 8. What is the size of the mouth? 9. What are the blow-holes? 10. How long will the whale remain under water without breathing? 11. How deep has it been known to descend into the ocean? 13. What is the thickness of the fat? 14. How many gallons of oil will the whale yield? 15. What is said of the maternal affection of the whale ?

22*

LESSON LIV.

Spell and Define.

1. Sphinx, a monster with a human head | 10. An'gle, the point where two lines on the body of a lion.

meet.

2. Gran'ite, a stone composed of quartz, 11. Trench, a narrow channel, a ditch.

feldspar, and mica.

3. In-telli-gent, knowing.

4. Sculp'tur-ed, carved.

4. Lab'y-rinth, a mazy obscurity

5. Car'di-nal, principal.

7. Con-tract'ed, drawn together.

14. Chasm, a cleft, a gap.

15. Term-in-a'tion, end.

15. Si'en-ite, a stone resembling granite.
16. Sar-coph'a-gus, a stone coffin.

18. Ob'vi-ous-ly, plainly, evidently.
18. Pil'lag-ed, plundered.

ERRORS.-1. Stans for stands; 1. sans for sands; 3. breas for breast; 3. coun'ter-nance for coun'te-nance; 3. nat'ral for nat'u-ral; 4. eere for ere; 5. per'fic-ly for perfect-ly; 6. reg'e-lar for reg'u-lar; 9. en'ter-ance for en'trance; 10. pos'ter for posture.

A VISIT TO THE EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS.

D. MILLARD.

C

1. APPROACHING the pyramids from a south-east direction, we came first to the Sphinx." This stands about eighty rods from the pyramid of Cheops, and directly in the midst of an enormous sand-bank. The ground rises from it toward the desert, in two directions; consequently the sands have been drifting upon it for thousands of years.

2. It presents the upper part of a human image, cut out of a solid block of granite. Such are the vast dimensions of the part still visible, that the whole image, could it be extricated from the sand, doubtless would greatly astonish the beholder.

3. Only the head, neck, shoulders, and breast are to be seen. The face is now considerably marred, the nose being quite broken off. Originally its countenance must have been very natural, mild, and intelligent. It stands as if looking toward

NOTES. -a The pyramids of Egypt are about forty in number, and divided into five groups. The group here referred to, is situated on the western side of the river Nile, at Gize, not far from Cairo. b The Sphinx has been recently uncovered by Caviglia. It has a human head on the body of a lion, lying in a recumbent posture, and is 150 feet long and 63 feet high. The body is sculptured of a single stone, and the paws are constructed of masonry, thrown out 50 feet in front. c Che'ops; a king of Egypt, whose reign began, according to some historians, 1178 years before Christ.