Butte record., 1855-09-08

4
A Smithsonian usually carries five
swift boats, thirty feet in length, built of
light materials. and shaped both ends
alike, in order that they may with great
er readiness be backed from the vicinity
of a dangerous whale they are steered
with long oar, which gives a much
greater and more decided command over
a boat than rudder Five long oars
propel each boat, the row locks in which
they play being muffied, in order to ap-
proach the destined victim without noise.
Sockets in the floor of the boat receive
the oars when apeak. As these whale
boats are thin in the timbers, for the
sake of buoyancy and speed, that very
frequently get shattered by blows from
the fins, fukcs, and tail of the whale at
tackled; and consequently Their crews
would inevitably perish, were it not for
a contrivance which we think C n not be
too generally known to all who 90
boating either on bu- iness or pleasure
Lhfe-lines are fixed at the gunwales of
the boat and " hen an accident causes
her to fill the oars are lashed hwart
by aid of these lines, and although she
may be quite submerged, still she Will
not sink, but bear up her crew until res
cue arrives. We are sure that were this
simple expedient known and adopt by
merchant scamen and others, many hun
drcds of lives would be saved every year;
for it is rarely that a boat is swamped so
rapidly that there is not time to lash the
oars athwart her gunwale.
And now, reader, please to step on
bard the sprrm whaler. We are cruis-
ing somewhere in the great Pacific
Ocean Our ship is cl an from stem to
stern-trom try-works to cuttng-fals
our boats are hang ng ready to be launch
ed at a moments notice keen eyes are
sweeping the horizon in every direction,
and sharp eyes are anxiou>ly listening
for the anticipated cry of eth re she
-pouts !"-for We are sailing along the
edge IF a curr' Mt, and sperm whales are
known to be in the vicinity. 1t is early
morning, with fine work king- breeze
and if you will take your station with us
on the cross trees--or, if that is too
lofty an elevation, on the foretop b meath
them-we will point out to you the well
known indications Of sperm whales being
hereabouts. Fist OF all, you probably
gl.ncc, with a SOFT of wondering smile,
at the queer looking machine at the
croos-trees overhead Well, that is the
crow 's-nrst but its tenant is not a feath
cred creature, but a tarry, oily, old Salt,
who is the lookout man for the nounce,
and whose keen gray eye, even while he
refill, his check with fresh plug, is fixed
with absorbing attention on yonder tract
of water, whether he seems to expect
every instant to see a whale rise and
spout. The crow 's-nest, as you per-
ceive, is composed of framework in the
shape of cask, covered with canvas,
and furnished with bit of seat and other
little conveniences, to accommodate the
lookout, and, when necessary, shelter
him in some measure from the weather,
as he frequently has to remain long alofI
at time We believe, however, that
South-seamen do not use, nor require,
the crow's-nest so much as the Green
landmen.
Now, look around, and mark what vast
fields there are of the Sally-man, and of
Meduse of all kinds, and observe the
numerous fragments of cuttle-fsh float
ing about, remnants of the recent meals
of the cachalot and, above all, see the
great smooth tracts of oily water, which
show that party of whales has passed
over this portion of the oceans surface
not very long ago All you admire
the countless foeks of birds lowering
close by the ship. Yes, they are in un-
usual numbers, for they know by instinct
that they will soon obtain abundance of
food. But for one bird in the air, there
are a thousand fish just beneath the sur
face. See for hundreds Of yards on
every side of the ship, the water is liter
ally blackened with aibacores. They
have attended us for many weeks, and
will not be got rid of, u,less a strong
wind drives the ship along at very rapid
rate. They swim sociahy along with us
from one cruising ground to another, and
and can be captured by hook and line
with the greatest ease. They are fine
fellows, averaging some four f,et in