The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-09-17
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
\ Day Among the Whales, in the Sea 81
Japan.

\ Day Among the Whales, In she Sea Of
Japan.
The sun had scarcely risen from its watery bed,
far away amid the blue waves of the sea of japan,
tinting the horizon and the sea with its golden
beams, when a shout from the masthead was
heard, "There she blows. There she blows?"
Where away?'' cried the captain.
Three points of the lee-bow, sir" replied
the man aloft-
What does it look like ?'' inquired the cap
tain.
Right whale, sir-fn out-Iies like a log
was the reply.
Our good skipper, who was a man of about
forty, with a rough and hardy-looking visage,
orders the man at the helm to Is keep her off a
point - meanwhile he suspends the spy7glass
about his neck, and ascends the rigging for the
purpose of getting a better view OF the prize
Now, our ship was a snug craft, of about i've
hundred tons burthen, and contained a crew that
were unequaled in point of intelligence, energy
and good nature Led on as they were by bold
and daring officers, but a few of those monsters of
the deep escaped the deadly lance if they came
within killing distance While the movements
Of the whales were watched from aloft, all hands
were called and preparations made for the chase.
The boats were swung off the cranes; the har-
poor and lances, spades, hatchets, knife and
bucket, water-keg, thole-pins, and other para
phernalia for catching and killing whales, were
placed in the boats. The ship was kept of,
Oear1QR GOWN VIII u genie DIecLc lOWdTUS Al
old cow-whale and her calf, which lay basking
IN the warm rays of the burning sun. When
within q half mile of them, the order was given
to haul the main yard aback and lower away.
The crew step nimbly about, all hustle and con-
fusion the ropes rattle on the deck; yards and
blocks squeak as they turn on their bolts, and
now the sails press back upon the mast
Delay all, and man the boats" shouted the
mate.
The boatsteerers or harpoonmen are all ready In
their respective boats, together with their mates,
and a. they strike the water and the tackles are
cast of, the crew of each scramble down the
chains Of the ship and place themselves at their
regular posts, as each man has a set duty to per-
form ; the nature OF that duty is determined by
the place be occupies in the boat. Six men form
q boats crew, viz: a mate, boatsteerer and four
regular oarsmen. the boatsteerer usually pulls
an oar until the boat approaches near the whale
they wish to attack, when he peaks" his oar,
and standing up in the bow of the boat, grasps
the harpoon, and makes ready to fasten to the
whale whenever the order Is given by the mate.
The mate, during the chase, steers the boat, but
after the whale is struck or harpooned, he takes
the bow and t re boatsteerer the steering oar
Four of our boats were now down, ~skimming
over the waves, and gradually diyerging from
each other as we left the ship. Having arrived
IN the vicinity of where we saw them go dow
last, we peaked our oars, and waited impatiently
Tor the whales to come VI. All eyes were intent
u watching any unusual ripple in the water,
not knowing precisely where they would rise;
besides, there was a great rivalry existing between
he-boats crews to see which would fasten to the
most whales, as each crew received credit upon
the ships books for every whale they secured,
AID these books were examined by the owners
after the return home of the ship hence the
eagsrness to be the first to discover the whale as
sle broke water, in order to gain the advantage.
OR suspense was not long.
she broke water within fifty yards of the first
mats's boat. Every man sprang to his oar, dip
ping II lightly, and exerting every muscle; the
boat shot noiselessly and swiftly forward but
oefcre either could reach a fastening distance, she
discovered US, and with a loud spout and a vicious
swesp Of her hukes, darted away, while the fool
isa calf, which was quite young, installing the
frs mates boat for its mother, rolled itself,
alongside, emitting a faint little spout, as it
rooted its nose against the side of the boat.
.sShall I fasten to this little fellow?'' asked
the bcatsteerer, as he stood hesitating, with har-
pom raised
.sGive Il to him, George; secure the calf and
the COW will not leave replied the mate.
II seemed cruel to torture this unsuspecting
and uusophisticated little creature, as he writhed
IN anguish, with a harpoon three feet in length
driven into bis body. Not being able to discrim-
mate between friends and enemies, it lay beating
the water with It's fukes, without offering to fight
OF run, after the fashion of old whales.
Knowing that the cow would return to her
calf, the mate payed out line and steered off at a
suitable distance, while the other boats were
sndeavoring to harpoon her. Lashing the water
with aukes and fins, making it white with foam,
and scouting furiously-loud enough to be heard
several miies-she started off on a circular course
towards her progeny, alternately diving under
water and winning on the surface TIL within
= few yards of it, when she went down. and i'm
nediateiy came up directly under the calf, land
ing it on her back. She now struck away from
the boats with incredible speed, imagining,
perhaps, that her escape with her young was
certain but she was made aware of her mistake
when she had run the full length of the slack-rope
that he had been payed out of the mates boat,
for the precious burthen was pulled from her
back.
II seemed now ne If her anger knew no bounds ;
with the suppleness of an eel, and the rapidity of
thought, she swept her dukes from eye to eye
then raising them over her back, 20 as to nearly
touch the top of her head, threw them back upon
the water with astonishing force, in the mean
while spouting most furiously. 1t was truly
fYightful 20 witness those ferocious and threaten
ing attitudes, which seemed to evince 80 much
wrath, disappointment and chagrin. A mingled
feeling of awe, fear and insigni6cance came over
me, a. / beheld this mighty monster make its
mad gestures. How easy it would have been for
her, while in her dreadful anger, to have con-
signed Us all to a watery grave Fortunate,
indeed, for man their mortal enemy, that they
know not their power.
Again she made another circuit, and as she
came alongside of the calf, threw her I'm over it,
and hugging it to her side, sped away the second
time TO make good her escape; but the distance
Of . few yards Strengthened the rope. However,
nothing daunted, she kept on, taking the boat
after her, the line having been made fast TO the
loggsrheed of the boat. Seeing at length that
she gained nothing in distance from her enemy,
she reiinquished her hold and with an ominous
80 nth her cukex ucur down
The boats now formed nearly a circle, and
Zach one prepared to give her a harpoon when
she came up, If there was an opportunity. As
We were waiting l CHANGED to look down into the
water by the side of the boat, and could just dis
cesn some object deep down. 1t rapidly grew
more distinct, and was apparently rising to the
surface, bat ere the word of warning could be
given, she had risen under us, striking the bottom
Of our frail boat a little forward of midships with
her head, knocking a hole through the thin bot
tom boards, and throwing the bow oarsman some