The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-12-25
: written for the Council Blaas KohSasAtfs
"A ixKETCHEs OF THE sEA-NO. L.
! 1 cATcHIHG A.wuALns

West, and woe to the hapless wight who's
turn came at midday. Like spitted turkey
he writhed and sweitered beneaththe roast
ing sun of the tropics; and, although th
tendency to fall asleep was nearly irresisti
bic, for the love of life he overcame it, fo
we'll he knew that the melancholy end O.
his nap would be the dashing out of hi:
brains on the deck. Three weeks Of fever.
ish expectation and daily disappointment
had made US so fierce for bout with levia-
than that, had We engaged in the chase and
the chances been ten to one that We were
rowing into the very jaws Of death, ! believe
we would have dipped our oars with d
will" and even had II sea serpent, whose
scaly folds would twice outmeasure the
huge fend of Milton, paid US visit, We
would have given him three cheers and
fought him with our harpoons and lances
After this long and weary watching, our
relief can be better imagined than described
when, at 0 O'Clock one morning, the cry
"there she blows" rang out sharp and clear
over the waves. AL hands, except the man
Mt the wheel, sprans into the rigging, and
sure enough We had found game ut last.
Two large whales were leisurely blowing
and sporting:not mile from tho ship, their
glossy backs shone like mirrors in the sun
light, and the beautiful jets Of spray they
were spouting up, sparkled and flashed with
all the colors of the rainbow. We Toasted our
eyes with the welcome sight, and then there
was hurrying to and fro on deck, replenish-
ing our boatkegs with fresh water, land provl-
dino luncheon of shard bread in case OF IN
emergency, and in FIVE minutes we were
call ready" With shout We greeted the
captains order, to slower away" The
blocks ratified, we pushed off, and our grace
full boats went gliding like things of life,
over the waters toward the devoted sperma-
ceties.
Almost noislessly, with our oars peaked,
we sped along, keeping time with our pad
fdles, rs perfectly as KUnS's pupils do with
their digits. The mates boat veered slight
ly to the right, for the nearest whale
Another minute, and the flight Of his greasy
hishness will be too late-only hundred
fathoms off when suddenly he dashes oul
airy oil castle to atoms by going down; but
the scowl of vexation had hardly yet died of
the brows Of the disappointed crew, wher
the captains boat swept past the fukcs Of
the other monster, and quick rs thought
the harpooner sent two barbed irons dcer
into his shining back. All over, his huge
frame trembled like an aspen, then with {
rear and plunge, he was off, with the speed
of the wind. Down! down.! down.!
into the dark depths Of old ocean he went
whirling away the line, coil after coil, with
frightful rapldity, and keeping one mai
busiy wctting it to prevent ignition. Thu
last ten fathoms of three hundred, lay il
the bottom Of the tub, when the mate fast
cncl his line to the captains, and n hundred
fathoms of that spun away, ere the whal
had finished his dive. Now the line slack
cned, ana the mates crew were hauling i
in, when lcviathan broke the surface
, quarter Of a mile ahead, spouting vigorous
ly, and evidently not relishing the sport
Away we went for him, and rs We almos
brushed his arm fin, with the boat, tn
captain buried the murdcrous lance dee
Into his vitals. Down. down.! again, bu
not SO fast, nor so far as before, and whc1
he rose, the crimson jet he sroute1, WI
proof enough that he had received his deaf
blow. Covering wide circle, the flakes 0
bloody foam spotted the waves, and t
guard against its poisonous effects on GU
lips, we wet them repeatedly, with sea
water. Again, and again, he was lanced
till weak from the loss of blood, and hi
tremendous exertions, he ceased to dive
and swan along the surface, propelln
himself rapidly, with his great horizon,o
tail, apparently with very little effort. Tn
three boats now fell into line, and he towc
them along for half an hour, as orderly a
ever horse towel canal-boat. Talk Q
buggy riding and sleishing why, were
not for the destinations Of crinoline, the
would be nowhere, when compared with
ride in a whale boat, harncsscd to leyiathar
Charminglv, the slender PROV clcaves tn
waves, and the rainbow tinted spray show
crins back upon you, gives you bath whic
the Sultan of Turkey might envy.
The restless, nervous, man, who longs 70
excitement, and rushes to the bottle and tn
gaming table to find it, is fooling away hi
time. A whaling voyage would satisfy hi
craving, better than all the whiskey an
cards in creation, and leave him with SCUM
timbcrs besides; for of all the stimuli t.
produce wild exultins JOY, give me goo
boat, warm sea, big whale, and fear
less crew. Well, for half an hour, GU
team went finely, when suddenly the hug
brute stopped, wheeled about at RICH
angles to his course and, dropping tina
pondcrous jaw, awaited our approach, wit
the most perfect ncnchalance. No doubt
he felt easier than we did, as tho prospcc
of having that great ivory pronged Wis
crushing one boat and its crew into mince
pic, while that giant tail was splitting tn
others into oven-wood, was certainly no
peculiarly pleasing. The momentum of tn
boats shot them ahead, and ere we coul
reverse the motion with our oars, we wcr
almost near enough to pat our little pet OF
the head with our hands; this intcrestin:
part of the programme We deferred howev.
er, to more proper occasion; and as VI
backed off, we drew long breath, and tolC
each other how we would have Jumped
overboard and padded for life, in case he
had attacked rs. Had he possessed eve,
the intelligence of a hog, we should doubt
less have had a startling tablcau, closing
with desperate kicking and scramhlne
among the sharks which, attracted by the
blood of the whale, were swarmins arouuG
in immonSn pfY,,bors. but H., chow: IL.