The true Democrat., 1854-06-06
From the National Intelligencer. The Whale Killer.

Washington, April 27th.-Messrs. Editors:- ln Lieut.. Maury's description of the whale he made some remarks on a fish of the above spe- cies called the killer. This fish is described in " "Porters Journal of Cruise in the Pacific" This fish is so we'll known to the old salts of the whaling trade and the Pacific cruisers. that have always thought it equally we'll known to the scientific. Having on more than one occasion been an eyewitness of the attacks of this fish on the whale, l will attempt description of it.
 The killer is the wolf of the ocean, and hunts in packs, and their tall dorsal fin can be con- stantly seen above the water This fish has always as companion, but swimming deeper, the sacord; ;fsh, and now and then can be seen the s1ssrk. On sighting their prey, which the killer sees at great distance the pack gives chase; the unconscious whale is slowly moving near the surface and occasionally spouting, as it were in sport, jets of water above him. But he suddenly sees the " sea- wolf" near him. Instinct at once teaches him that on the sur face he cannot be safe, and, taking long breath, he flukes; that is, dives.
 But there has been another enemy watching him from the depths below, the "sword- fish, which now darts at him with the velocity of lightning, and perforates the whale beneath with his long and spear-like nose. This sends him at once to the sruface; here he again meets with his enemy, the "killer;;'' but as yet they are afraid to approach him. The whale now begins to see the extent of his danger, and for time merely lashes the water with his pon- derous ttuke. He soon tires of this, and re- mans for short time at rest; the pack now approach him, and he seeks safety in flight But what can he do? The poor whale has a hump on his back and steers unsteadily, while the killers tall and stiff fin steadies him on his course Nearer and nearer approaches the pack to thelr victim; again he takes long breath and dives. The sword-fsh has steadily kept him m view; he too has a tall fin and long, slender propelllng tail; and while it is an effort to the whale to increase his speed it is but play to the sword-hsh' which again darts and perforates his prey, and sends the wounded whale again to the surface. The race again commences, but thls time with diminished speed, the killers having separated to watch the rise of the whale, who, finding his enemies in every direction, courses m circle, and again makes third, and sometimes fourth attempt to escape by diving, but IS always met by the terrible pike of the sWord-hsh. He at last, weak, exhausted, and dsplrlted, returns to the surface, where he again attempts escape by flight.
 Streams of blood mark his course; his ene- mics still follow steadily after him, while he stops and begins to lash and make the ocean foam around him; but now large streams of his life blood are pouring out, and he is only in- creasing his weakness by the exertion, and mere y flashing amidst his own groe Tired. ex- hanstcd, and faint, he rolls over The deepred streaks ot blood flowing from large orifices in hls white belly can now be distinctly seen.- The hungary pack now near the throath and tear away the skin and fat; he opens his mouth and bellows with pain. This is generally the signal for combined attack. His lounge is seized and torn from his mouth: so are his eyes. The swedish now rises to the surface, and his tall spar-ke protubance is seen projecting over the body of the whale: the sharks also close in and feed on the fat rejected by the killers In this state the whale makes a few dying struggles. The feast now commences and continues until the fat and sufficient flesh is stripped off to cause the carcase to become too heavy to float on the surface and sinks. The shark is left to en- joy his few steaks of fat while the killer pack. accompanied by the sword-fsh rove again on the broad ocean to seek another leviathan of the great deep
 w. D. PORTER. T & N,,v