Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-09-15

A WHALE SToRY.--A correspondent, who ha
read the story of singular attachment between pig
and horse in the Tribune, sends the following
rative of a whale to match it.
'Nearly three years since, in company with
hundred other passengers sailed the ship Plymouth
Capt. Paulson, from San Francisco to Realejo A
few days out fell in with a whale some sixty to
seventy feet long, and which kept in our company
uventy:tou days, and only left when we got on
soundings-close to our port of destination. This
whale, most of the time kept directly under the ships
bottom, and so close, that several occasions the
keel must have touched him. we could that his
back was scratched by the copper He would
up to blow every thirty to fifty minutes, ranging
few rods from the ship-almost always windward-
and then resume his berth under the keel and
whether we went fast or slow it always the
TO him. On going down he would almost invariably
come within two rods of the ship with his head op
posle the mainmast and slowly settle to his place.
his fukes being with the rudder. On one oc
casion lay becalmed for two or three days, with
two other vessels about half mile off. Our whale
paid them visit of an hour two each day, but al
ways came back to his old quarters. After he had
been with us five or six days, we got tired of his
company and an attempt was made to drive him off by
firing into him. and few days after the effort was
repeated, but he would not leave US. Thirty or for
ty heavy rifle balls fired into him, some of which
struck him in his blow-hole, and drew blood, but all
TO no effect; and except on one occasion, when ball
hit him at the bottom of spur on the back, (When
he gave slight shiver,) we could not perceive that
he telt them, although many of the balls struck him
when not more than TWO three rods from the ship
On the day after the shooting, at every shot-hole
would appear small white bulb, but in three or four
days more he would show no signs of having been
injured During the passage we were close to many
other whales, but whae paid not the slightest at
tenton TO them. Persons board, who professed
to know, called this Sulphur Bottom Whale wheth-
er correctly or not, | cannot say"
Indian Coma French farmer has succeeded in
giving to Maize Indian Corn any color he chooses,
by the following plan; Having received from China
specimen of maize of learl white color, the
grains OF which very small but very beautiful
he was DESTROYS to obtain the same grain but of
other colours For this purpose, he planted by the
side OF them some American maize of red color,
and the result crop of pink tint, with some of
a bluesh, and others of green color. He made a
similar experiment with the maize of Tusavora the
grain of which white Carolina rice, and thus
he obtained crop, the ears of which were about 4
inches in length and the grains of blue color. An.
other time he planted some of the color of amber a.
mong some of the black maize of Syria. The ears
attained the length OF % inches, and the grain was
of different colors. The yellow maize of Central
America, produced some dark brown color, which
! rpens eight days sooner than the other sorts. This
farmer now possesses hundred and fifty three diff
ferent varieties of maize, and his object in continu-
ing his experiments is not only change the color
at will, but also TO contain varieties which will ripen
earlier, as well as larger and longer ears, and thus
increase the produce.
The New Orleans Bulletin, remarkng upon the
comparatively small proportion which the foreign
born population introduced into this country since
1870. together with their descendants, bear to
the entire population, accounts for it thus
"The reason why the foreign born do not sum a
greater figure in our census statistics is truly sad
one 1t has been estimated that fifty per cent. of the
emgrants die within twelve months after embarking
from their ancient homes and reaching shores
collect that they constitute nearly nne-tenths oil
those who die from ship fever epidemcs of all kinds
explosions and accidents, to say nothing of the fatal
ty OF accimation, it cannot be denied that it has
melancholy basis of fact to rest upon. We wish il
were otherwise, but of what avail are human wish
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