The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-06-08
METHOD OF TAKING THE WHALE.


Pacific Ocean, at its japanese conhne-he
may be musing over some past event, the ship
may be sailing gently along over the smooth
ocean, eyery thing around solemnly still, with
the sun pouring It's intense rays with dazzling
brightness: suddenly the monolonous quleIude
is broken by an animated voice from the mast
head, exclaimng, There she spouts - The
captain starts on deck in an instant and in
qnres Where awayl" But perhaps the
next moment every one alolt and on deck can
perceive an enormous whale lying about
quarter of mile from tho ship, on the SUR
face Of The seas, having just come up 10 breathe
his large hump projecting three feet out
OF the water-when, at the end OF every ten
seconds, the spout is seen rushing rom tue
fore-part OF his enormous head, followed oy
the cry of every one on board, who JOIN near,
and soul in the chorus Of {" There again
keeping time with the duration OF the spout.
But while they have been looking, few Sc
conds have expired--lhey rush into the boals,
which are directly lowered TO receive ihem--
and in two minutes from the time OF first OBJ
serving the whale, three or four boais are
down. and are darling through the water with
their utmost speed towards their intended VIC
tim perhaps accompanied with song from
the headsman, who urges the quick and pow
erful plying Of The oar with the common
whaling chant Of
"Aw.y my boys, away my boys It's time for us to CO."
But while they are rushing along, the whale
is breathing they have yet perhaps some
distance to pull before they can get chance
OF striking him with harpoon. His "spout.
ings are nearly OUT he j, about To descend,
or he hears the boats approaching. The few
people left on board, and who are anxiously
watching the Whale aud the gradual approach
Of the boats, exclaim +" All he is going down."
Yet he spouts again, but slowly; the water Is
again seen agitated around him The specta-
tors on board with GREATNESS anxiety think
they perc Give his smal' rising in prepara-
ton for his descent. He will be lost y they
exclaim, for the boats are not yet near enough
to strike him---and the men are still bending
their oars in each boat with all their strength,
10 claim the honor OF the first blow with the
harpoon. The bow boat has the advantage oil
being nearest TO the whale the others, for
fear of disturbing the unconscious monster,
are now doomed TO drop astern. One more
spou. is seen slowly curling forth--it is his last
---this rising his small" is bent, his enormous
tail is expected to appear every instant, put Inc
boat shoots rapidly along side Of the glganiic
creature. Peak your oars" exclailns the
mate, and directly they flourish in the air the
glistening harpoon is seen above the head OF
the harpoOner in an instant it is darted with
unerring force and aim, and is buried deeply
in the side Of the huge animal. II is SOCK
ct up that is, it is buried in his flesh up to
the socket which admits the handle or pole
80 A thnca in tho
boats, and from the seamen on board, rever-
bera'es along the still deep at the same mo-
ment. The sea. which moment before was
unruffled, now becomes dashed into foam by
the immense strength of the wounded whale.
who, with his vast tail, strikes in all directions
at his enemies. Now his enormous head
rises high into the air, then his fukes are
seen lashng every where, his huge body
writhes in violent een,o55aons Rgg t Rs,ef all
around him is mass of foam, some Of it darts
to a considerable height---the sound of the
blows from his tail on the surface of the sea
can be heard for miles
stern all y cries the headsman but the
whale suddenly disappears he has 'sounded;'
the line is running through the groove at the
head OF the boat with lightning like velocity
~ sHonOo-it ShitCSf Nun tuC HCdl
by the fIiction--thc headsman, cool and col
lected, Pours waters upon it as il passes. But
an car is now held up in their boat; it sisn.
fies that their line is rapidly running out two
hundred iathoms are nearly exhausted: up
flies one OF the other boats, and '.bends dn''
another line, Just in time to save that which
was nearly lost. But still the monster de-
scends; he is seeking to rid himself of his
enemies by descending into the dark and un-
known depths of the vast ocean. The next
bend OH "drougues,' to retard his career, but
he does not turn another and another have
but slight influence in checking the force Of
his descent; two more lines are exhausted
ne IS six hundred iathoms deep! . Stand
ready to bend on! - cries the mate to the
fourth boat Qor sometimes, though not often,
they take the whole four lines away with them
500 tathoms y but it is not required, he is
rising. :" Haul to the slack" observes the
headsman, while the boat-steerer coils it again
carefully into the tubs as it is drawn up. The
whale IS now seen approaching the surface;
the gurgng and bubbling water which rises
before also procans he is near; his muse
starts from the sea the rushing spout is pro.
lectcd high and suddenly, from his agitation.
The slack Of the line is now coiled in the
tubs, and those in the i" fast boat haul them
selves gently towards the whale the boat
steerer places the headsman close to the fin
OF the trembling animal, who Immediately
buries his long lance ip the vitals Of the levil-
than, while, at the same moment, those in
one Of the other boats dart another harpoon
into bis opposite side, when " Stern all ~ is
again Moderated, and the boats shoot rapidly
away from the danger.
Mad from the agony which he endures
from these fresh attacks, the miuroted sea
beast' rolls over and over, and coils an amaz-
ing length of line around hin he rears his
enormous head, and, with wide-expaudcd