The Sierra citizen., 1854-07-22
They are light-hearted, and much inclined
to enjoy themselves in dances and other
amusements."
The Whale Killer.

i Inc W maze AlueT.
The killer is the wolf of the ocean, and
hunts in packs, and their tall; dorsal fin
can be constantly seen above the water
This fish has always a companion, but
swimming deeper-the sword-ish-and
now and then can be seen che shark. On
sighting their prey, which the killer sees
at a great distance, the pack give chase;
the unconscious whale is slowly moving
near the surface, and occasionally spouting,
as it were sport, jets of water about him.
But he now suddenly sees the "sea-wolf
near him. Instinct at once teaches him
that on the surfaces be cannot be safe, and
taking in long breath, he fukes, that is,
dives. But there has been another enemy
watching him from the depths below, the
"sword-fsh," 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
surface; here he again meets with bis
enemy, the killer; but as yet they are
afraid to approach him.
The whale now begins to see tie extent
of his danger, and for time merely lashes
the water with his ponderous fuke. He
soon tires of this and remains for short
time at rest, the pack now approach him
and he seeks safety in fight. But what
can he do? The poor whale has 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 their victim; again he takes a
long breath and dives. The sword-fsh
has steadily kept him in view; he too has
tall fin, and long slender propelling tail;
and while it is an effort to the whale to
increase his speed, it is bat play for the
sword-fish, which again darts and per-
forates his prey, and sends the wQanded
whale again to the surface. The race
again commences, but this time with d.
minished speed, the killers having sepa-
rated to watch the rise of the whale, who,
finding his, enemies in every direction,
courses in {. circle, and again males a
third and sometimes fourth attempt to
escape by diving, but is always met by
the terrible pike Of the sword-fsn. He at
last, weak, exhausted and dispiritcd, re-
turns to the surface, where he again at
telnpts escape by flight.
Streams Of blood mark his course; his
enemies sill follow steadily after him,
until he stops and begins to ash, and
makes the ocean foam around him; but
now large streams OF his life-blood are
pouring out, and he is only increasing in
weakness by the exertion, ami merely
lashing amidst his own gore. Tired, ex-
hausted and faint, he rolls over. The deep
red stteaks of blood, flowing from large
orifces in his white belly, can now be
distinctly seen. The hungry pack now
close, and one, more bold than the rest,
seizes him near the throat and tears away
the white skin and fat; he opens his mouth
and bellows with pain. This is generally
the signal for q combined attack. His
tongue is seized and torn from his mouth:
so are bis eyes. The sword-fsh now rises
to the surface, and his tall, spear like pro-
taberance is seen projecting over the body
of the whale; the sharks also close in, and
feed on the fat rejected by the killers
The feast now commences and continues
until the fat and sufficient flesh is stripped
off to cause the carcass to become too
heavy to float on the surface and it sinks.
The shark is left to Joy his few streaks
Of fat, while the killer-pack, accompanied
by their companion, the sword-6sh. rove
again the broad ocean, to seek another
leviathan of the great deep.-Natioa,ai
Intelligeneer. -
A PAPER DEvouRER.-In the Bank of
England no fewer than sixty folio volumes,
or ledgers, are daily filled with writing in
keeping the accounts! To produce these
sixty volumes, the paper having been pre-
viousiy manufactured elsewhere eight men.
three steam-presses and two hand-presses,
are constantly kept going within the
Bank! In the copper-plate printing de-
partment, $4,000 bank notes are thrown
off daily; and SO accurately is the number
indicated by machinery, that to purloin
a single note without detection. is an i'm
possibility