Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1852-04-08
Whale Fishery,
(CoRcMded

hree hundred and fifty yards. It.
ragged out ten lines {2400 YARDS .
nd was supposed to be seen blow .
ng in different holes in the ice.
Aiter some time it made It's appear
nee on tile exterior, and was again
truck, at the moment it was about
. go under the second time
About an hundred yards from the
idge, it broI Re the ice where it was
loot thick, with its head, and re-
.Plred through the opening. 1T
hen pushed forward, breaking the
Zee as it advanced, ID spite of the
.ances constantly directed against
il, At last il reached a kind Of
basin in the field, where it noated
ontae surface Without any incun-
brance from ice. Is back being
fairly exposed, the heirloom struck
from the beat Oh the outside, was
observed to be so slightly entan-
gled, that il " as ready to drop out.
Some Of tile officers iamented this
circumstance, and wished that the
harg0on might be better fast. at the
same time obserI ing that if it
should slip out, either the fish would
be lost, or they would be under the
necessity Of ilinch Ing it where il
lay and Of dragging the BUILDER
over the ice to the ship; kind and
degree of labor every one was anNr
ious to avoid. No sooner was the
wish expressed and its importance
explained, than young and daring
sailor stepped forward, and offered
TO strike the harpoon deeper. Not
81 al lntimidated ty the surprise
manifested on every cpuntenahce
at such a bold proposal, he leaped
on the back Of the living whale,
and cut the harpoon OF, with his
pocket knife Stimulated by his
gallant example, one Of his COM
panic rs Proceeded 10 lis assistance
While one of.them hauled upon
The LII e and held i in lis hands.
the other set bis shoulder against
the en- Of the harpoon, and though
In was without a stock, contriyed I'd
I srike It again into The fish more eff
I tkctaaliy than at Syst. The whale
as in motion before they had I'm
fhed. After they got off lis back.
i advanced a considerable distance,
breaking The Ice all tie way. and
survived this novel Treatment ten
pr fifteen minutes. This daring
deed vas of essential service. The
whale fortun ately sunk spontane-
ouSly alter it expired; on which ii
was hauled ont under the. ice by
The line and secured without layth-
4r trouble. 1t proved mighty
whale; very considerable prize.
Captain Lyo rs Willie prosecuting
tbc whale fishery on the Labrador
coast, in the season Of 1862, dis
covered a large whale at q short
.aistanCe from'thc sh!D. Four boats
were dispatched 10 pursuit, and
two ofthem succeeded in approach
ing ii 50 closely together, that two
Ilarpoonsi!yere struck 1t The same
moment The fish descended a
few, iations Ia the direction Of an
d Their of the boats, which was on
the advance, rose accidentally be-
meath it, suuck il with its head, and
Threw the boat, men and apparatus,
about fifteen feet into tie air. Il
was inverted by the stroke, and fell
into The water with IFS keel up
wards. All the people were picked
up alive by the fourth boat, which
was just al hand, excepting one
man, who having got entangied in
the boat, fell beneath il, and was
u Unfortunately drowned. The whale
fishery is an. important branch of
American industry and enterprise.
y Notwithstanding the imposing dan
gers and severe hardslips which ii
involves, there are many " 10 be-
come alta ched TO the pursuit. The.
inhabitants Of Nantucket arr eX-
td nsiveIy engaged in The y bal e fish
cry, and their ships penetrate to
The most distant seas on the globe
The town Of New Bedford also
sends forth many vessels ID pur
suit of the whale. 1t employs more
han 10000 tons of shipping in the
business.