Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1853-11-26

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happened between The last day of February,
! l700 and the lst of March, 1900, add elev-
en- days; it between the same dates in 1900
and 1900, add twelve days and if between
1900 and 2ioo, add thirteen days. II you
wish TO ascertain the Old Style from the
New, subslract from the New usicad of ad-
ding 10 the OH.
AREMARKABLY VICIOUS WHALE.
The Edgeriown Gazette published the fol-
lowing particulars relative to the attack upon
and final capture of an ugly whale, by
boats crew from the ship Hector, Of New
Bedford, furnished by Capt Thos. A. Norton,
" no was the first mate of the Hector AT the
time:
'Tn October, 1882, when in lat. IL S. lon
80 w, the ship 90 days from port, we raised
a large whale. The Joyful cry was given of
| there she blows!' aud every thing on board
at once assumed an aspec, Of busy prcpara-
,on for the capture. The boats were low
cred, and the chase commenced When we
got within three ships length of him, he
turned and rushed furionsly upon us. He
struck us al The same moment we fastened
TO him. He stove the boat badly, but with
the assistance of sails, which we placed un-
der her bottom, and constant baling. she
was kept above water. The Capian-John
O. Morse-came 10 our assistance. Told
him he had better keep clear Of the whale
but he said he had a very long lance, and
wanted 10 try il upon the rascal. Capt M
went up 10 the whale, when all al once he
turned upon the boat, which he took in his
mouth, and held right up on end out Of the
water, and shook it all to peices in mo-
ment. The men were thrown in every di.
rection, and Captain Morse fell from dis
tance of at least thirty feet into the water. No
being satisfied with total destruction of the
boat, he set 10 work and 'chewed up the
boat kegs and lanlen kegs, and whatever
fragments of the boat he could find floating
upon the water. At this stage of the fght,'
told Capt. Morse, tha, if he would give me
the choise of the ships company, | would
Try him again. II was desperate work to all
appearance, and up 10 this time the vicious
: fellow had had it all his own wav The
Captain was in favor of trying him from the
ship, but inall consented for us 10 attack him
again from a boat; With picked crew,
we again approached the whale, now lying
perfectly still, apparently ready for another
attack, as the event proved. Seeing our ap-
proach, he dalted towards us with his mouth
. | uiIs, his In
: gether every moment, with tremendous en-
ergy. We gave the word 10 stem all,
J. which was obeyed in good earnest. AS We
y passed the ship, heard the captain eXclaim,
e there goes another boat y She did co. to be
:, sure, through the water, with all speed, but
e fortunately not to destruction. The monster
chased us in This way for half mile oil
u more, during most of which time his jaws
r were within six or eight inches of the head
y OF the boat. Every time he brought them
II together the conclusion could be heard at the
e distance Of at least mile. intended tt
e jump over board if he caught the boat Toll
e Mr.. Mayhem, the Sd mate, who held Tho
e steering oar, that the whale would turn owe
D, sooD TO spout, and that then would be ou
IS time to kill him After becoming eXhausie,
+ he turned over to spout, aud at the same in
slant we stopped the boat, and buried on
an,es deep in 'his lfe.' One convulson O
n the frame followed, and all was still. II
at never troubled us more We ,owed him /
lie the ship, fried him out, and took ninety bar
oi rels OF oil fIom him.
IN When we were cutting him in, we foun
e. two irons in his body, marked with the nam
of the ship Barclay, aud belonging 10 tn
o' mates boat. We afterwards learned lhf
~ three months before, when the same whal
d. was in lat. 3 S, Ion. lo5 w he was al,acke
er by the mate OF The ship Barclay, who had
ed desperate Struggle with him, in mhich h
oil finally lost his life"
ol Capt. Norton, al the time Of the adyentul
ial with this whale, had "seen some service,
ia but he freely confesses that never before M
ne since, Though he has had the buttons bite
IN off his shirt by whae,) has he come
10 contact with such an ugly customer as lh
s'rogue whale" as he was ter ned in sail
las parance. He seemed possessed of II
ent spirit of demon, and looked as savage as
Ole hungary hyena. Our readers may imagll
ol the effect suct an encounter would have up
a crew of green hands, During the lret
~ '"- ful chase of the boat by lhe whale, the
0 faces were of livid white, and their ha
stood erect On their arrival al the first pc
;, they all took TO the mountains, and few
', any of Them, have ever been seen since.
=, Capt. Norton informs US that whale W
never before known 10 attack boat befo
being struck. In this case the whale hi
W. evidently experienced much trouble fro
~ the irons left in his body, and to the first Q
~, ~. portunily which presented for revenge. I
'e' ken altogether, we think this will rank hi
among the whaling stories OF our day.
The A qua for duck shooting has been import
low from England by gentleman of Ballimo
: This handy little plaything is only feet
) oil the barrel feet in the stock-one foot a
10 a half around the breech, and an inch anS