Curiosities of natural history. 2nd series / by Frances T. Buckland.

  • Francis Trevelyan Buckland
Date:
1865
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Curiosities of natural history. 2nd series / by Frances T. Buckland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    364/392 (page 336)
    A GOOD SKELETON. stature, and in a few seconds would, doubtless, have lost his life in the horrible oily mass, had not assistance been quickly afforded him. It was with great difficulty that a boat hook was put in requisition, and the good little man hauled out of the whale’s tongue. A few days after the visit of Mr. Murie and myself, the Gravesend whale was sold to Mr. Blaker, an oil and cart-grease manufacturer, who lives on the marsh on the other side of the river. We paid it two or three visits, and were allowed to take away all parts of the whale which were not required for making oil; the result was, that we obtained many most interesting and valuable preparations, which are now at the Boyal College of Surgeons. While we were at work, the pro- prietor of Bosherville Gardens was bargaining for the skeleton, which he is now exhibiting in a beautiful state of preparation at the gardens. The whole scene fully realized the details of a very old print of “ The Dissection of a Whale,” thus quaintly described :— “ Cetus ingens quern Faroe Insulae Incolae ichthyophagi, tempestatibus appulsum securibus dissecant et partiuntur inter se.” [A huge whale which, being cast up by a storm, the fish-eating inhabitants of the Faroe Islands dissect with axes, and divide among themselves.]