New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-03-12
FLOATING a wHALE.
IN i ). vsaTos.


Il vas ny good fortane, wasn stationed Oh the
Island Of vancouver, ID 1885, 70 be an eyewitness
Of one Of the mcst extraordinary modes of esp
turing whale that haye ever hsaTd q.
appears the natives are sirnslar Ia those upsn
ne shores Of Siberia and Kamskatchx 4ssfrch al
diesed to whales binhber and At tsir fpyai feass
aosmng ss held " such estimation de asattEsy 81
the Aforesaid deficaey
One fellowssaiior Fl mine tells story III sssas
invited % one 81 these feasss tile coast of NE&
ga, ana aaying laid before him the two greatest
deIicacfes of ne season, 's whales biubbefv ana
the substance taken from the frst stomach 81 !
reindeer directly It is killed and az liz ainiI1V
4 like spinach
the Vancouver Indians, ~ wen q tkss Tcfs
| northern brethren, it may be supposed fkev -
particularly anxious to obtain II ; and aItfa14k
\ they do not object to dead and often 1d4f<d
| whale which chance casts upon their coasts f4eY
naturally prefer fresh meat, and to secure e -
| to great lengths. Their canoes generally conSpk
| of single tree, followed ont by FIRE Or some
other means, ballaated by their activity in spring
| ing from side to side 81 occasion requires, aIS
| though sometimes hosting sail made of cedar
| bark, just as often entirely dependent on pair
Of paddles, one worked at the stern, the other #
| the bow.
Considering the fragile nature Of these boats,
the reader may believe was somewhat incredn-
lous as to their efficiency in the pursuing Of the
great Leviathan, and inwardly thinking seeing
pany one Of these expeditions.
As good luck had i, my ship remained three
| months at Fancouyer'a, lying ait anchor ia the
indian angnage Esa1asu sTshS as Hsp g
that saw great dealof the island, and, being n
favor with the captain, had good many run
ashore, and hope made some use Of the oppoxts-
During the winter season severe storms srequcnf-
| Iy visit these coasts, and, blowing directly down.
| from the northern Pacific, bring with them gEs&t
shoals Of fish, and frequently whales, Who getting
ont Of their latitude and their strength probah{S
much reduced by struggling against the st0fS6,
they are cast on the coast OF Vancouver. OSst1
sanders always pn he lock Out fsr ssr
luxury. No time is to be lost the receding Tide
leaves the whale for time impotentfy iashing lii
tail, unable to regain the deep water, trying "A
bury his nose in the shallow breakers and making
loud attempts to spout, which generally end IN a
cultural sound. not unlike the believing of 4 hMa-
dred bulls. All is excitement on the shore 1nds-
ans rushing here and there; friends are summoned
from every quarter; weapons Of destruction azc
| prepared. ssN
The weapon used is worthy Of description bod
ron m il ingenuity and the importans part takss
barbed spear-head to this is tied large seals
skin made into the shape Of bag, and filed with
air SO as to resemble large bladder secondly. "
. the spear-head long rope Is attached, which =
sometimes made of bark, but oftener of kind 81
Y sea-weed which grows to an enormous length, ana
when wet ressts almost any force thirdly, into
socke. in the spearshead pole j. fitted but ~ ap
head is left imbedded in the flesh of the whale act-
/ ing az an anchor to the bladder and rope.
Armed with these primitive weapons the natives
set off in their fragile canoes, and approaching
their prey as closely as is consistent with safety
dexterously cast their spears, catching hack tie
loose handles. In short time the monster assumes
! A. most extraordinary appearance, being com
= pletely covered with these sealskn ar-baEe,
which make a curious noise when bumped against
= one another by the winds. When the tide begins
70 rise, the aspect Of affairs is atogether changed
j the great fun now commences, and the use Of the
bladders becomes evident, AZ they actually prevents
the animal sinking sufficiently to use his fun
strength, keeping him upon the surface Of the
!. water.
The canoes now pull towards the shore, the lines
become taut, and suddenly the monster feels him
self moving slowly but steadily towards the land I.
his struggles are tremendous, bnt frnitless be y
literally fish out of water, and hopelessly in the
power of his Lllipntian foes, who laugh at his
strength and utter udicrous limitations Of his IT.
tempts to spout while the inhabitants, for miles
around, crowd to the scene Of triumph singing and
beating large drums made of the followed hDle Ut
tree, over the ends Of which is stretched the skin
Of sea-lion. As soon as the whale IS beyond low
water mark the work Ia done, as they have only 10
wait till the tide leaves their prize high and dry
\ upon the beach, where the heat of the sun soon
puts an end to his suerings. The fsvorite bluhher
is then dug out and put away in calabashes for the
4 future, after every one has eaten Az much en- ha
= can possibly hold. However, they look forward
with more anxiety to the feasts to come, as they
y prefer their fayorite dish in state decidedly
= | .gamey.n
d As may be supposed, the carcass of the whale
4 decays rapidly, and tants the atmosphere for miles
y round, to such extent that one but native
could exist in the vicinity. Although if there hap
! pens to be whaler at anchor anywhere near. she
:, soon gets wind Of what is going on and comes il
u for the lions share at small cost trouble; the
natives not knowing the value OF any part except
the blubber easily induced to help the Whalers
q by the gift of few glasses of rum.