The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1847-02-09
From the Journal OF a Sailor.
THE SrOVEN BOAT


VI all the pursuits that mrn follnw in o,,.
obtain a snhsisience there il none that will 49,.
pare IN danger and hardships as that uf vb.t"
INN and Vet how little people ON the share II
al Tins. II is in order Ia let them have ANN.
sight into this business that have written Il"
following narrative: me
shall conhne myself To the facts as ,bor
Cured. all Of which I put down in nv i,u,n.,
SOM after they transpired.
On the li,h dav of December. 1887. the ooo,
ship r.. of Newbnrg. Captain c.. was cr,;s;"
somewhere between the latitude of SO and ~ e
and longitude of 60 K. in search Of .ruht Will;
u was IN the forenoon. and the old ship was rnov
ing along under her top gallant sails, With G,t,
nIe' 20. at the rate of about FIVE knats the bn,.
ne rnost hardened grnmhIer conld nut find FAIL
Win The day. At The fore and main ,on.n.i
'','i cross trees We're two men on the look. ouI c.
whales Nv
II was now nearly four o'cl ok in the afiernor,
when the man in the main sung out
There she blows! =
He repeated the cry regularly five or six limo,
All was now excitement among the officers and
men. Every one was anxious To know if il w.
the kind Of whale we wanted.
The mate hailed the man at The mast head
W here away is that whale What do W,
call her2' '"u
Right whale, sir, on the lee beam. two mill,
off; look out sharp for herI'
Sing out " hen The ship heads her!'
Az. ay. sir =
Keep her away said the captain IN the ,o,,
al The helm Boy, hand me the spy glass,
Steady !! sung out the man 81 the mastbe,d
Steady II is,' answered The wheel.
The captain then started to 90 aluft. MI
10 tae male. ynu may square in The after wand,
and call all hands
Forward. therel' shouted the mate. b,J
The maInsail mp and square the yards! Bill to
an old sailor
'Sir2'
Call all hands -
Ay. ay. sir! All hands ahoy y shouted old
Bill IN voice like the tempest stand nv ,hs
boats! In less than no time the d,ck u,.
alive with men
Boat seerersl get your boats ready'
In moment the hnais were in readiness. Tia
tubs rnt in. and the lines bent on the barn,oos
the crew standing by. ready to follow the boas
down to water, when the word came from The
captain to lower away
There she blows = sung ont the man q, lbe
fore not half mile off,
Down helm y shouted the captain. sMr A.
brace the mizen topsail hoist and swing the boats
and lower away!' Down went the boats. and
down followed the crews As the ho,ts s,yock
the water, every man was on his ihwart. with his
hands on the luom Of his bar and in less time
than have taken 10 write this the three boats
were cutting their way through the water in the
direction of the whale.
1t was my duty to steer The mates boat and
she happened tn he The fastest pnIler, so that al.
though we all left the ship together, and fora
Few rods Kept nearly head and head with each
other, still we knew well enough thai as SOM a.
The word came from the male 10 give way,n we
shonld drop The others in a moment So we did
not iret ourselves, but kept cnol for TIGHT mil
when the whale should show himself ON the SUI
lace at the wafer again-which he did in mo.
meni after.
Here she is = cried the male and moi over
len rods from the bat Now. nv dear fellows,
lay back hard spring hard. ] tell youl There
she blows! only give. my boys. and she is ours"
The boat bounded forward like a thing Of
lie. Spring like iigers' says the mate, hs
voice sinking almost To q whisper I looked
see what kind Of a chance was about to have.
and at the same time pulling at my oar with al
my might. We were going On 10 her siarb,srd
Gnarier-jnst the chance | liked tu fasien to
whale. Stand up sbonied the mate and in
moment had two harppons into her
Slern--s'ern ALL sung ont the mate as he
saw the irons in the whale. Come here. 10Y
boy ! said he 10 We shifted ends-he to the
head and TO the stern Of The boat, The whale
started off like lighting
shot after her. like an arrow from how. The
mate by this time had bis lance ready. Haul
me On that whale he shouted and all hands
turned to hauling line, when coied il away 10
the stern sheets. We had got nearly up The
whale when she went To soundlng' taking the
line right M and down from the head Of the boat.
had two tuTns Of the line around the lnorerhead,
and was holding on as the boat would bear when
all al once. another large whale that we all knew
nothing about. shot up out Of the water nearly
her " hole length. In slaniinu position. hanging
directly over the boat. threw of the turns from
the IOggerhead, and shouted 10 the men To stern.
But II was 0f no use she fell The whole Of her
body on the buat heard the crash, and as
went down. felt pressure Of water directly
over my head, caused. as | then thought bg the
whale's hukrs as she struck. How long ! vs.;
und"T water knew not but I remember that all
looked dark above me. and tried very hard 10
shave my head through in order to breathe.
last succeeded but what sight was that On
which gazpd, when found myself IN the sn''
face Of the water About n rod from me vas The
whale that We were fast to. Ihrashinp the waie
into fam with his Bukes--ihe ocean red with
blond. and The crimson streams pouring from lhe
wounds made ny thc hafponns. Ia an0iher difcc
lion ! could see pieces Of The boa floating around
AZ the distance Uf two or three miles | could Oc'
casIohaily get glimpse of the ship as rode m
The Top " swell. and not human being IN
sight, Most forcibly did The words of The pei
apply 10 my situation AT this moment
.oh solitude! where are the charms
mat sages have seen in thy face?
Better dwell in the midst Of alarms.
Ihan reign in this horrible place.
81 thought !. as struck oor for piece Il our
once p'aG it'll boat few rods distant. The crew
came up one after another, catching ~ ans thing