The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-01-29
Writ IN Tor the Council Bluffs Nonparei'.
SkErCHE< OF THE SEA-NO. 5.

cALN--cArCHlSG GETTING
FOOLED BY LOG.
The wini had gradually died away until
not n breath rippled the water, or moved the
"dogvanc,' and away upon every side, f"r
rs the eye could reach, the ocean lay calm
nsa sleeping infant. Flap, flap, went the
Idle canvas, as the long swell laziIy rocked
The ship; and tho spar. and cordare crcaked
and groancd, as though myriad of dis
con'cnted storm spirits had taken up their
abode among them, and were murmurins at
the quiet tamenes, of old Neptune. The
roasting sun was blistcring the paint on tho
ships sides, softcning the tar tiffened
ropes, and frying up the pitch from tho
deck; and the barcfootcd Jack, who started
from tho forccastle for the galley to get
The grub for his "watch," danced back into
the shade as nimb!v rs on frosty mornings,
IN days Of yorc, with live coal between
his toes, he had danced over the hearth.
stones and kitchen floor Of his childhood's
home.
The "lookouts' aloft, with no awning to
screen them, wr,hed and sweltcrcd in the
heat TIL one Of them forgot the whales,
forgot the calm, forgot everything, and was
Oh for home on tho lightning train-when,
holding low, ms sitting slccpers do, he came
up with jerk, and tho "cold chills" crept
70 his lnccr-cnds rs no saw that only by
almost miracle, no had been saved from
pitching headlong seventy feet to the deck.
M3P.M. the cry 'Blackhsh = 'black6sh ! p
'ans out from the "crows-nest, breaking
'As drcary monotony, rou,ing the slecpcrs,
md sending US all to the boats with rush,
eager for the chase, and here, let me de-
scribe these gentlemen, which had so oppor-
'On'iy come to our relief. The Blacklist
belongs to the genus Cetacea, or warm
hooded, blubbcr- coated, air. breathing fish;
""' IRON twelve to fifteen feet long, and six
" 'sa'iees in grth, with smooth, shining
''', 't', and horizontal tail and, being
w.. "''''e' and going in large schools, it is
t: game for whalcmen, in the absence
Of anything better,
=" zen minutes from the time Of lowering,
.'ea boat was fast to fish. Had the little
.,'''s possessed the go-ahcad disposition
VIC whale, We should have had fine
,'s "vcry little strength was re quisite to
Pa'i the boats rapidly over so smooth a sea.
u" they knew no more about working in
harness. than wild Mustang, and thew
p''!ed "such fantastic tricks" that only by
we most watchful care, did We save ourselves
''o@ upsettins among the sharks. Swim
sang rapidly ahead few yards, they would
suddenly dive, and in half q minute rise
s'n' and plunge Of at full speed in the
'Ppos'se direction. Round went the boat
una whirl; and, as one side Of j. dipped
wv 70 tho water, We leaned over the oppo.
sOowa'e, and complaccutly viewed the
lyons OF 'sea lawyers prowlns around
s..' ca'e.' In justice to these legal
; IN must admit tina. they possessed,
,,,I eminent degree, those qualities which,
;o,a, ''e'r brethren ashore, ensure profess
o.aA 'acoe's-being an impudent, big.
ns. '"e'' hasd-looking "bar." But our
s,os loving fathers had taught US in boy
ai,,n, W 'aun such fellows, 80, leaving tbei,
!.a. ss''n'ed 'h"rkships "brieaes.," VIC
lii, su' 0lack6sh, and toved them to the
IN hour We bad bq,chessd ii. and