Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1854-05-18
From the National Inte,ligencer.
The Killer Whale.
WARHINGTON ADrIl

nal oi Cruise in The Pacific" This
bsh Is so we'll known 10 the old salts Vi
the whaling trade and Pacific cruisers
that J Fave always thought IL equally
well known 10 the scientific. Having.
on more than one occasion. been AN eye
wi'ness ol the attacks OF this fish on the
whale. l will atien pt n description OF H..
The killer Is The wolf OF the ocean, and
hunts in packs, and their tail dorsaI in
can be constantly seen atOve the wal
er. This fish has alwa, companion
but swimming deeper, the sword-fsk, :,
and now and then can be seen the shark.
On sighting their prey, which the killer
ices ~ n great distance, the pack gives
chase the unconscious whale ID slow
ly moving near the surface, and occa-
slonally spouting, as IL were in sport jets
OF water above him. But he now sud
denly sees the ''sca woli'' near him
Insiinct at once teaches hun that OIL the
surface he cannot be safe, and taking
in a long breath, he hukes; that ls,dives.
But there has been another enemy
watching him from The depths below,
the 'swori-fsh," which now darts at
him with the velocity oil lightning and
periorates the whale beneath with his
long and spear-like nose. This sends
him at once TO the surface here ne
again meets with his enemy, the kill
er but as yet they are afraid TO ap.
proach him.
The whale now begins to see the ex.
tent oi his danger, and Tor time mere
ly Iashes the water with his poaderous
fuke. He soon tires o. this and rem aims
Tor short time at rest the pack now
approach him and he seeks sa iety in
flight. But what can he do ! The poor
whale has hump on his back and steers
unsleddilu, while the killers tall and
stuff fin steadies HIN on his course.-
Nearer and nearer approaches the pack
TO their victim: f: again he takes long
breath and dives. The sword-fsh has
steadily KEEP, him in view he too has IA
tall fin, and long slender propeIling tail;
and while IL Is an effort to the whale to
increase. his speed, il is but play Tor the
sword-fish: which again darts and per-
iorates his prey, and sends the wound
ed whale again 10 the surface. The
race again commences, but this tine
with diminished speed the killers hav-
ing separated to watch the rise Of the
whale, who, fin ling his enemies in ev-
cry direction, courses in a circle, and
again makes third and sometimes a
fourth attempt to escape by diving, but
is always met by the terrible pike OF The
sword-fish. He at last, weak, exhaust
ed and dIspirited, returns to The sur
lace. where he again attempts escape
by flight.
Streams OF blood mark his course; his
enemies still follow steadily alter hin,
until he st.ps and begins 10 lash aud
now large streams OF his lie blood
are pouring out, and he is only increas-
ing his weakness by the exertion, and
merely flashing amidst his own gore.-
Tired, exhausted and faint, he rolls
over. The deep red streaks of blood.
flowing from large orifices in his belly,
can now be distinctly seen. The hun
cry pack now close, and one more bold
than the rest seiZes him near the throat
and tears awdy the phite skin and tdi q;
he opens his mouth and bellows with
pain. This is generally the signal Tor
a combined attack. His tongue Is seized
and torn from his mouth so are his
eyes. The s"ord-fish now rises to the
surface, and his tall, epar-liks protube.-
ancc is seen projecting over the body oi
the whale the sharks also close in and
iced OH the lat rejected by the killers
The least now commences and contIn
ues until the fat and sufficient hcsl. is
stripped off to cause the carcass TO be-
come too heavy TO float on the surface,
and il sinks. The shark Is Ieli to enjoy
his lew streaks Of lat, while the killer
pack, accompanied by their companion,
the sword-fsh, rove again the bro,d
ocean 10 seek another levialhan OF the
great deep.
w ID. Porter, U. S. N.
In introducing this interesting item
oi natural history, the New York Eve
ming Post makes the following remarks
A PoLTIcAL ALLEooRY--THE KILLER
WHALE. - The following paper from
Lieut.. Porter, and the previous c0mnu-
nicatiOn TO which IL refers, made by
Lieut. Maury 10 the American Scient-
fic Association, are supposed to be allie
gorical, and to be designed after the
manner Oi the Oriental liable, TO illus.
trate The condition oil President Pierce,
who is the whale, pursued by the killers
who represent the Hards, and the
vordish, who represents the Wings
and Abolitlonists.
The hump on the back Of the whale
10 understood 10 refer TO the cabinet, and
"the steering unsteadily" an ailusion
q FOrney and the Union I; the fat and
skin torn away by one boider than the
rest relers 10 Culting sending the Ne
braska bill TO the committee oi the whole
and the seizure o! his tongue and pulling
out his eyes prc6gures Benton's oppo-
sing the appropriate on to the Gadsden
treaty. and moving a committee Oi in
quiry upon the roguery which 10 sup
posed TO have conspired Tor It's passage.
The sharks who close IN and feed upon
the refuse lat are the borers Tor lal d
grants aud rotten claims.
Perused by this key, the fable which
We quote below will be iound to possess
peculiar interest at the presen; crisis.
We believe that the interior meaning
oi this whole story about a new species
oi whale was entirely unsupported by
the scientific association 10 whom Il
was addressed, or by Professor Agassiz,
who assured him that he never heard Of
such creature as the "killer" before ;
but those who remember how Charles l
puzzled The Royal Soc ETY. with his
shrimp problem, or old HuJibras But
ler's verses abou, the fly in the teIes-
cope, are aware that the most learned
bodies are sometimes the most simple
minded and credulous. II is but JUS. to
the association to make this admissl OH Of
their entlre ignorance OF the latent po-
e Al