The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-12-11 00:00:00

WHALE IN THE ISLAND OF LEWIS.

In the far distant island of Bernera, on the extreme
north-west of the island of Lewis, west coast of Scot-
land, considerable exeitement has been caused within
the last few days by the stranding of a huge whale.
This whale is reported to have measured no less than
105 feet in length. His spine was found to have been
snapped short across, an accident probably caused by
a blow from the bow of one of the iron Trans-
atlantic steamers, or more probably by the
whale having run foul of the flange of the revolving
screw propeller of some fast-going ocean mail boat.
This whale was probably the great northern Ror-
qual Razorback or " Finner " (Baknoptera Boops or
Porqualis Borealis), the same species that follow the
herrings, and which the Scptch drift-net herring
fishermen do not wish to be persecuted, because by
their blowing they show them the whereabouts of the
shoals of herrings: These finners are also very power-
ful animals, and so strong and difficult to kill that
the Peterhead and Dundee professional whalers do not
care to kill them, especially as they do not contain
very much blubber and very little whalebone. Whales
of this kind often grow to a very large size; they are often
70 feet long; and a gentleman who has lived many
years in the Orkneys says that the largest he ever
saw was 82 feet. The right or whalebone whale is a.
much smaller animal. An experienced whaling cap-
tain says, that one bull whale which he killed last
year measured 48 feet from nose to tail, breadth across
the head 8 feet 10 inches, nose to eye 17 feet. Another
whale, which he harpooned and obtained after a severe
fight, measured total length 47 feet, body between the
fins 11 feet, breadth of head 9 feet 3 inches. These
were both the true or whalebone whale, not finners.
On account of the very great value of whalebone—
an article so rattch required by the present fashion of
ladies' dresse,, and by the demand for whale oil for
dressing jute, which when dressed with this oil
assumes the appearance of silk fibre, and is used for
all sorts of purposes from the making of carpets and
chignons to the adulteration of silk dresses—the true
or whalebone whales are becoming gradually exter-
minated, or are getting so artful that it is very diffi-
cult to approach them.
It has been suggested that the skeleton of this Ber-
nera whale shall be secured and brought to London.
The great distance of the locality where it lies is fatal
to this project; besides which, the bones of the whale
are composed of a series of cells very porous and con-
taining more or less oil. It is very difficult to get this
oil out of the bones. The skeletons of whales are very
expensive and very unsatisfactory preparationg. Their
proper use is without doubt to be ground up for
manure; while the two elegantly-curved bones which
form the lower jaw are not unfrequently set up on
end and thought to form a highly-ornamental archway
for a garden walk. Many of such archways of con-
siderable age exist in the neighbourhood of Newcastle-
on-Tyne, which port was once celebrated for its fleet
of whalers,

THE SMITHFIELD CLUB CATTLE
SHOW.

In London, on Monday, the eighty-third Show held
under the auspices of the Smithfield Club was in-
augurated at the Agricultural Hall, Islington.
Upon the whole the display was fully equal, in
point of numbers, to the recent Shows; and it
is thought rather superior in point of excellence
to exhibitions of recent years. In the morning
the Show was visited by the Duke of Edinburgh, and
in the afternoon by the Prince of Wales, both of whom
expressed themselves highly delighted with what they
saw. _ _ _

The Champion Prize of cue hundred guineas for
the best animal was awarded to a steer belonging to
Mr. J. J. Colman, M.P., who, with fourteen entries
of cattle and sheep, wins five first prizes, three
seconds, and two thirds in the classes, exclusive of
three special prizes secured by this animal and of a
£4O cup won by a three-year-old steer which has been
selected as the best of all the Scotch breed. Altogether
Mr. Colman wins thirteen prizes, worth £370.

The attendance at the Cattle Show on Tuesday
was remarkably good. In the afternoon the annual
meeting of the Smithfield Club took place in the
Club-room of the Agricultural Hall, Lord Tredegar,
the President, occupying the chair. The Report
stated that the prize list this year was the largest
ever adopted by the Club, being in the aggregrate
three thousand one hundred and forty-two pounds.
The financial statement showed the year's receipts to
be six thousand seven hundred and eighty-two pounds,
and the expenditure three thousand eight hundred
and sixty-three pounds.