Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1857-03-19

CAPTURING WnALE.-The following de-
scripton of capturing a whale, is furnished us
in letter, written by young Wilmingtonian,
from Tolcahuano, Chill, on the 9Th of January;
We arrived in this port on the 18th of De-
eember, after having been on cruise of seven
months and 10 days, in which we were rather
unfortunate. We have taken about 10 bbls.
Of sperm oil, and about 40 bbls. Black Fish oil,
Talk about seeing fun, you ought to see the
iun OF taking sperm whale. You are walk
ing tho deek, perhaps, thinking of home and
making calculations as to how long 1t will be
before you get there; may be you are calling
yourself foolish Tor coming to sea in bluber
hunter, when all at once you are startled from
your revery, by this cry OF SO there she blows !"
] he captain who is probably below, comes on
deck like streak Of chain lightning, and yells
out at the top of his voice, 50 where away a.
This question being answered, the next is,
/" how far otfP' Being satisfied on this point,
he takes the spy glass and goes TO the mast
head himself The yawls are trimmed, and the
ship is headed for them, and now the result of
the captains scrutiny is awaited in silence
Suddenly you are again startled by the order
to " maui aback the main yard, clear away the
boats, anil call all hands," Now all il busto
anu excltement-the main yard Is aback--the
captain ia on deck lower away Is the order.
and let go the boats. The whales ale near at
halld,-the noise has ceased, and now we await
In breathless suspense the issue. The bouts
are creeping slowly and cautiously toward
them. The huge leviathan still unconscious at
danger, lays like some inanimate body upon
the water, the boats stearer has risen from his
seat an stands bra, ed for the combat, anOth-
or pail OF the oars, then lie gives it to him, and
with desperate plunge, down goes Mr.. whale
~ the nntathomable depths OF the ocean. The
line which flies through the checks with the w.
locily Of lightning, would soon be on fire were
Il not for pouring water upon it. Presently
the line ceases running, and again tho whale
appears upon the surface Of the water. Tho
boat header gives the order to haul line, which
Is done, and ina few minutes you are up to the
whale again, and the hoatsteerer who has left
his harpoon, or in whalsmen phrase, his iron In
the monster, takes tho stearing oar, and the
boat header goes into the head Of the boat with
his lance in order to kill the whale. And now
|, commences the strife Ia good carnes again,
I and again IL tue glittoring lance dared INTO
the quivering sides of the monster Of the deep,
and he soon becomes eXasperated, and COM
mGnces fighting. "There he comes" slap
ping his huge jaws together asthough he would
at one gulph take down both boat and crew.
stern l" cries the boatswain, and back goes the
boat. They will then lay of for short time,
until the whale is more quiet. Now they ad-
vance again, away flies the lance, but the whale
Is too soon for them this time, and with SNAP
of his hage jaws, the boat is cut in two, and
You find yourself in the water. But there be-
ing two boats together, you ara soon picked up,
the line is grapplGd by tho other boat and is
bent on theirs, Coach boat carries in whaling,
about 100 to 1870 iathoms vf whale line,) and at
last the monsteris killed, and brough the ship
We had not quite such hard time as this with
the whales we took, but there are some whales
(spcrm) which have not only stove one boat,
l.sust ,... 1.
time that it would take to tell about it.
Yours &c e. r.