Butte record., 1855-09-08


furnace With fuel, burning CT arly, and
emitting intense heat. This operation
is called trying-out, and is only danger
Gus when proper precation is not used to
prevent water from falling into the boil
ing oil, or by carelessly throwing in wei,
blubber; in which cases the caldrons
may overflow very suddenly, and every
thing be in flames together From the
try-works the oil is conveyed to the cool
ers, and thence to the casks and good
sized whale, in favorable weather, may
be cut up and converted into oil, &c.,
within couple of days
The spectacle of trying-out on dark
night is exceedingly impressive. There
is the ship, slowly sailing along over the
painless ocean, the furnace roaring and
producing lurid flames that illumine the
surrounding waves, the men passing
busily to and fro, and dense Volumes of
black smoke continually rising in the air
and drifting to leeward. Trying-o out in
a gloomy midnight has touch even of
sublimity about it; and we can conceive
the feelings of awe and terror it would
inspire in spectator beholding the
CHASTITY show tor the first time from the
deck of another ship We think it is
Herman Melville who compared the crew
of sperm whaler, on such an occasion;
to party of demons busily engaged in
the celebration of some unhallowed rite
nor is this fancy at all outrageous, to our
thinking. What a picture might painter
of genius make of the scene
And now, reader, we hope you do not
begrudge the time spent with US aboard
a sperm whaler? But we crave the ia
vor of your company, or rather, IN
Shadspearian language, we say, "lend us
your ear" yet little longer. Certain
announcements appeared recently in the
papers concerning improved methods of
killing the leviathans of the deep. First
in order was simple and presumably
effective plan for projecting the harpoon
into the body of the whale. A small
cannon or swivel was fixed in the bow of
the boat, so as to be capable of being
raised or depressed, and to turn on its
pivot in any required direction The
harpoon was fired from this gun at the
object a Few fathoms of small
chain attached, so that no injury would
result to the whale-line itself in the act
of firing. This scheme appears to have
been well received for its apparent FEAST
bility; but whether it has, on fair prac-
tical trial, been found to fall short of
what was expected from it, we are unable
to state. Its advantages were expected
to be the following The harpoon could
be fired from such distance, that there
would not be any necessity of approach
ing dangerously near the animal at the
outset; and the force of its projection
would be such, that the harpoon would
be certain to be firmly planted, and very
probably might penetrate vital part,
and nearly kill the wha,e at blow.
A yet more important and cxtraordi-
nary innovation is that which was pro-
posed some two years ago, and is now
again attracting new attention-bcing
nothing less than whaling by electricity.
The electricity is conveyed to the body
of the whale from an electro-galvanic
battery contained in the boat, by means
J of metallic wire attached to the har-
poon, and so arranged as to re-conduct
the electric current from the whale
through the sea 10 the machine This
, machi is stated TO be capable of throw
ing into the body of the whale suci,
strokes. of electricity as would paraIyze
in an instant its muscles, and deprive it
of all power Of mo.iln, if It actually
| of life.
Should all we are told about this whal-
ing by electricity be tru', marvellous
change will take pl ce in the fishery
The danger of attacking and killing the
4 cachalot will be reduced TO its minimum
few or no whales which have once re-
ceived the fatal galvanic shock will es.
: cape--the lime consumed in their cap.
g ture will probably not average the tentl
: of what it does at present, and the dura
ton of the ships voyage will be materi
ally shortened, for theic will be no limi
g to the success of the chase, and tn
a rapidity with which the cargo will b
L made up. except the time which now, a
always, will be absolutely necessary t.
i boil down the blubber But how lon,