Baltimore commercial journal, and Lyford's price-current. [volume] (Baltimore, Md) 1840-1849, 1849-05-05
LETTERS FROM A WHALE SHIP.
HoMEwARp BOUND, S. PAcIFlc OCEAN,

The first four Of this catalogue only are lnuch
sought after for their oil; and then some OF the
others are taken by chance. The razor back rs
sometimes 100 feet long, but not so large round as the
right whale bearing about the same comparison 10
the latter that razor faced fellow you now ana ,heh
meet with among men, does 10 talr, rouhd alder
man. The porpoisc, as every body knows, Is har-
pooned from ships bow, hauled on board, and IT'S
carcass by the Of ''sea beef" Its OIL like
that of the ships slush pcrquisie OF the COOK s.
The fin back so called from a large fin on the ridge
of its back looking just like the gnomon OF dial is
n large whale found all the ocean, and could IT
be TAKEN would add greatly to the prodnctycnesS OF
the whale fishery. 1t often comes near ship with
ringing noise in spouting, like the sound OF Dell
metal, but il seldom be come near enough to by
boat TO dart harpoon and when 1t IS struck II Is
said to with such amazing swlftnesS as 10 partlh
line before can be let out compel them TO cut IT
loose. Its spout at distance, especially near the
Falklands, where l have seen them in great mum
bers, flashing up from the osean just like smoke from
the breech of a gun fired in frosty morning. l
have the horizon thus for an extent OF many
miles, all smoking with them, and the ocean all alive
with their gambos. 1t is not thing beyond the
reach of probability, that this hitherto unmolested
sea rover may vet be brought within the grasp OF
predatory by swiyelS or air guns that shall fire
harpoons into him, or poisoned arrows from DIS
tance.
The places where the right whale is now most
sought by the adventurous American whalemcn, are
in the Atlantic Ocean what called Nam and alse
Banks between Africa and Brazil, the parts around
the Falkland Islands and Patagonia, and the region
of ocean in mid Atlantic in the vicinity OF the island
of Tristan d'Acunha in the Southern Ocean, South
of the Cape of Good Hope there are the unlnhaOit-
ed Crozetts Islands, ST. Pau, and other parts OF The
Indian Ocean: in the Pacific Ocean there are the
New Zealand Cruising Ground, the New Holland
Chill, and the Northwest, from the coast oil america
clear to Kamschatka
This last is now the great harvest field of Amcri-
can whalers from May TO October and IL VIII DC
likely TO last longer than any other, because they
are prohibited by the Russians from bay "haiihg'
which destroys the cows about the time OF caivlng.
Almost all the ships fill up there. Some nave even
hro,cn orerboard provisions to make way Tor oil.
The havoc they make of whales is immense. lhere
are ships that took during the last season twenty
five to thirty three hundred barrels IN few months
] have heard Of one ship that sunk twcntysiX whales
after they had been killed; OF another one mat XII
cd nine before they saved onc OF another tha' XIII
ed six in one day. and all OF them sunk; OF another
that had three boats stove, and all the men pitched
into the sea- without any being lost. This forced
trial of hydroPathy is indeed so common an occur
renee that whalcmcn make nothing OF It,
Those hinge Northwest whales are more vicious
and less easily approached after they are struck,
than the whales Of other ATTITUDES. 1t Is considered
disgrace to be run away with by one OF thoSe JET
black fellows found i'll forty or forty degrees
north; and many an old whalrr who has made ms
boast that never vet did whale run Oft with HIM,
has been compelled to give in beat when last 10 Que
of these Northwest Tartars. One captain says he
has seen instances of the most wonderful strength
and activity in these whales, greater than he ever
before in either right or sperm. lie was once
fast TO a large COW whale, which was IN company
Win Il small OnC a lUll grown Call IhVH htpt "
gether and after time the captain hauled his boat
up between them. When they were both within
reach of him. he showed his lance Unto the ite OF
the cow at which she threw her flukes and the
small part of her body completely over the head OF
the boat without touching it, (althOugh they were
half drowned with the water she scooped up,) and
the full weight of the blow intended for the boat,
fell upon the back OF the small whale. He sunk i'm
mediately going down bent nearly double, and the
captain thinks must have been killed by the blow
The person has seen stout hickory pole, three
inches in diameter and six feet long, broken into four
pieces by blow from whales tan, and the pieces
sent ing twenty feet in the air, aud that too when
other resistance was offered than that OF the wa
ter upon which it fioated.
The first whale this struck turned him over
in two different boats and afterwards Knocked them
into kndling wood, while spouting blood IN thick
clots, and yet this whale lived four hours after,
showing its great tcnacity Of life. He came up along
side the boat, aud turning II over with his nose, as
hog would his eating trough and then with his flukcs
deliberately broke il up. OF course the crew had
take to natures oars and they all marvelously es
capped unhurt, although Of them carried, sit
ting the whales iukes, several rods ull he slid
off unframed from his strange sea chariot.
The Northwest cruising ground was first visited
in the spring of 1885, by two or three of the Chill
whalers, who indeed numerous whales, but gave
it as their opinion that the fishery could never be
prosecuted there with any success by reason OF con-
slant and dense fogs. The following year several
more Of the Chill fleet started to the Norhward,
betwcen seasons" and looking farther TO the north
and west, found better weather aud made good
cruise. During the three years following few ships
found there, but upon the almost entire failure
of the Southern whale fishery, the right whaemrn
forced 10 turn their prows to those inhosPtabe
seas, and the Northwest, as all men know, became
very Ell Dorado TO the intrepid American whalcrs.
This cruising ground extends properly from 81 to %
degrees of North latitude, and from the coast OF
America in West longitude, say 100. TO the meridian
of ITO East longitude, or about % degrees. The
largest whales said to have been found between
50 and 60 North, and from l45 10 $50 West. AT the
Fox Islands, in latitude 81, sperm whales OF the
largest have been found well right, and near
the peninsula of Alaska, they are very numerous
By a recent arrival from the Sandwich Islands, we
learn that the Arctic Ocean has been entered at
Behring's Straits by our intrepid whacmen. Capt.
Royce, of the bark Superior, from Sag harbor, is
thus reported in the Friend
81 entered the Arctic Ocean about the middle OF
July and cruised from continent TO continent, going
high lat ~, and saw whales wherever went.
cutting in my last whale on the 23d Of August, and
returning through Behring's Straits on the 18th OF
the same month. On account of powerful currents,
thick fogs, the vicinity OF land and ice combin-
ed with the imperection Of charts, and want of in
formation respecting this region found 1t both dit
cult and dangerous get oil, although there were
plenty of whales. Hereafter, doubtless, many ships
will go there, and think some provision ought to
be made TO save the lives Of those who go there,
should they be cast away. During the entire period
of the cruise ice seen, and the weather was
ordinarily pleasant, SO that the men could work In
light clothing
chorage, from Is to 80 fathoms, and part OF the
time the vessel lay at anchor. The first whale was
taken IL o'clock at night. 1t was not difficult TO
whale it in the whole "a hours; light it that
at midnight it was easy to read in the cabin The
whales quite tame, but quite different from any
Capt. Royce had ever before taken He took three
different Species Of the largest yielding 200 brls.
of oil. The first species much rescmbed the Green
land whale yielding $50 or 10 barrels; the second
was a species called Polar whale, few of which
have been taken on the Northwest Coast and the
third was a small whale peculiar that The
last three whales which taken yielded
600 barrels
II we inquire for the probable duration of this
Northwest whaling, there seems good reason 10 be-