The Sun.
London, England, 1834-08-19 00:00:00

CAPTURE OF A WHALE.

By the kindness of an Orkney friend, we have been fa-
voured with the following interesting details :—A whale of
a large species was killed near St. Margaret's Hope, Ork-
ney, by two individuals, on the morning of tke 29th July.
While George Wildridge, sailor, was landing peats from
a boat close to this village, about two o'clock in the morn-
ing, he heard the sound of a whale blowing in the bay,
upon which he ran to Knockhall, and called upon Mr.
John Sutherland, fish-curer, who, on getting out of bed,
saw the fish in the water. He immediately took a lance
and a large hook, and along with Wildridge went off in a
small boat, and on coming alongside the fish while it was
swimming, threw the hook upon it, which eatched at once
near the shoulder. As the fish continued swimming, Wild-
ridge held by the line attached to the hook, and on the boat
coming up, a lance was thrust into it, upon which it made
a violent effort in the direction of the shore. On the boat
again coming up, the men continued to lance the fish in
various places, while it was blowing and lashing furiously
with its tail, and at every struggle forcing itself nearer to the
shore. The men then with great exertion and difficulty, and
at the most imminent risk of their lives, succeeded in getting
a line with a noose upon it slipped over the head of the fish,
and having a small anchor in the boat, they attached it to
the line, and dropped it at some distance. They next took
the line attached to the hook ashore, and made it fast to a
rock, in order if possible to secure the fish. It did not as
yet show any symptoms of weakness, but being now in
shallow water, with its head in the direction of the shore,
its efforts to escape were unavailing. An immense quan-
tity of blood flowed from it, colouring the sea to a great
extent, but it continued to live for thirteen or fourteen
hours after being first wounded ; and as another tide was
near its height, and the fish still strong and struggling, they
lanced it again in another, and, it would seem, a more vital
part, as it then made a violent effort, and after several tre-
mendous struggles ceased to live. In this way did two in-
dividuals, with a small boat, succeed in capturing a fish 68
feet in length ; and perhaps there is no instance of anything
of the kind more daring. This whale is of the species
bakna physalis, called by sailors razor-back, and not the
mystieetus or common Greenland whale, than which it is
more dangerous to attack, being more powerful and rapid
in its motion.—Edinburgh Observer.

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