New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-04-27
From the San Francisco Golden Era
A Day Among the Whales in the Sea of


The sun had scarcely risen from its watery bed far
away amid the blue Of the Of Japan tinting
the horizon and the sea with its golden beams when
shout from the masthead was heard 'There she blows!
there she blows ~
"Where away" cried the captain.
"Three points off the eebow, SIR replied the man
aloft.
''What does it look like ?" inquired the captain
Fright whale, sr-tin out--es like log" was the
reply.
Our good skipper, who was man of about forty,
with rough and hardy-looking vsage, orders the
man at the helm to keep her off point !" mean
while he suspends the spyglass about his neck and
ascends the rigging for the purpose OF getting bet
ter view of the prize.
Now, our ship was a snug craft, of about five hun
dred tons burthen, and contained crew that were
unequaled in point of intelligence, energy and good
nature. Led on they were by bold and daring off
GERS, but 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 aot all the hands called and preparations
made for the chase. The boats were swung off the
cranes ; the harpoons and lances, Spades matches,
knife and bucket watereg, tholepns and other par
aphernalia for catching and killing whales, were
placed in the boats The ship kept off, bearing
down with a gentle breeze towards an old cow-whae
and her calf, which lay basking in the rays OF
the morning SUM- When within half mile of them
the order was given to haul the main yard aback and
lower away. The crew step nmbly about, all hustle
and Commissions the ropes rattle on the deck; yards
now the sails press back upon the mast.
Delay all and man the boats,' shouts the mate
The boatSteerers Or harpoonelS all ready in Their
respective boats, together with their mates and as
they strike the water and the tackles cast off, the
crew of each scramble down the chains of the shin
and place themselves at their regular posts as each
man has set duty to perform the nature of that
duty is determined by the place he occupies in the
boat. Six men form boats crew, viz mate
boatsteerer and four regular oarsnen the boatsteer
usually pulls 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 tasen 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 the
boat.seerer the steering oar.
-Four of our boats were now down, skmming over
the waves and gradually divergng from each other
as we left the ship. Having arrived in the vicinity
of where we saw them go down last, we peaked our
oars, and waited mpatiepty for the whales to come
up. All eyes were intently watching any unusual
ripple IN the water not knowing precisely where they
would rise besides, there was great rivalry existing
between the boats crews to which would asten
the most whales, as each crew received credit upon
the ships books for every whale she secured, and
these books were examined by the owners after the
return home of the ship hence the eagerness to be
the first to discover the whale she broke water in
order to gain the advantage Our suspense was not
long.
She broke water within fifty yards of the first
|
lightly, and exerting every muscle; the boat shot
noiseIessly and swiftly forward but before either
could reach fastening distance the discovered u.s.
and with q loud spout and vicious sweep of her
finies darted away, while the foolish calf which was
quite young, installing the first mates boat for its
mother, rolled itself alongside emitting faint little
spout as 1t rooted its against the side of the boat
Shall tasten to this little fellow 2? asked the boat
steerer, as he stood hesitating with harpoon raised
Give it to him. George secure the calf and the
COW will not leave,n replied the mate.
1t seemed cruel to torture this nnsuspecng and un-
sophisticated little creature, he wrlthed in anguish
with harpoon three feet in length driven into his
body. Not being able to discriminate between friends
and enemies, it lay beating the water with its ukes
without offering to fight run, after the fashion of
older whales.
Knowing that the COW would return to her calf the
mate paved out line and steered off at suitable dis
lance, while the other boats were endeayorng to har-
! pooh her. Lashing the water with fukes and fms
making it white with foam, and spouting furiously-
loud enough to be heard several mles-She started off
on circular course towards her progeny alternately
diving under water, and swimming the surface till
within few yards Of it, when she went down. and
Immediately came up directly under the calf, landing
1t on her back She now struck away from the boats
WIN ncredlbe 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 slackrope that had been payed out Of
the mate boat, for her precious burthen was pulled
| from her back
1t seemed now as if her anger knew no bounds
with the suppleness Of an eel, and the rapidly o