The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-10-31

n H
In whaliBg-the proper management Of the
Rsrp0on rope!
For more than an hour we continued to
sweep along with undiminished speed, for
the strength Of the whale, appeared inex.
hsustible, however ii might be with his pa
tience, for Of late he had induIged in several
hlunges, which had shaken our little craft to
its centre, and more than once he uttered
believing foars, which echoed far and wide.
After one Of those deep mouthed cries he
suddenly paused, and turning round, came
rushing back upon Us with distended jaws, as
II his fury had resolved to crush onr fragile
boat at once. The sight Of the aPproa ching
monster and bis black csvernous mouth was
anything but pleasant even to our enthusi.
asm. The men cried aloud, and waved their
arms to deter him, but he did not appear 10
hear them; then they seized the oars, re.
solved to give him battle, but he passed be-
yond their reach, his great size contrasting
awfully with our small proportions then
just as he had gone by he raised his enor-
nous tai nearly twenty feet into the air, and
with one powerful blow struck our boat,
dashing it in pieces, and leaving US strug-
Cling in the water, all save the poor whaer,
who having become entangled in the har.
poon rope, was borne off by the victorious
animal A few minutes after, another boat
having struck and killed the fish, the poor
fellow was rescued, but insensible, and SO
nearly drowned that he was with difficulty
restored to life. Meanwhile, other boats
clustered round, picked US up, and took US
back to our ship. ......
Occupied by our whale chase, and after
words 10 the resuscitation OF our unfortunate
comrade, we had not noticed that the calm
Of the morning had given place to strong
south east breeze, which was raising the
broad expanse Of the bay into large crested
waves, that, rolling onward to the beach,
broke on it in laundering surges, and as at
that time the bay boasted no jetty, stopping
all communication with the shore. Never,
during all our voyage, did our vessel pitch
as she did that day, for the bay, fifteen miles
from point to point, 10y open to the winds,
and to the full sweep of the South Atlantic
ocean, whose pillows rising with the in.
creasing wind esch hour into loftier swells,
broke anerly against the bows Of the labor,
ing vessel, and then, with a sullen surge,
swept on. Fortunately for themselves, the
fishers had anchored their Whale, and after
leaving US at our ship, fastened to the land,
which they gained with diff :ulty.
The cloudess blue Of the tropical sky was
overhead, and the brilliant southern sun
sbone down gloriously upon the scene, light.
ing up the clear blue waves, and adding to
the d zzing whiteness of their sursing sum.
mits, and to the radiance of the gem like
spray, which bounded high into the air bove
solitary little bark, which, with doubled an.
chors and lowered masts, struggled so hardly
for life amid the waste of raging waters
for with the passing day, yet wilder and
ferccr waXed the storm, and louder roared
the foaming waves among which we tossed
SO feartully, sometimes cast aloft on the
ridges Of lofty billows, until we thought our
cables must part with the sudden str,in ; al
others almost buried in the depths of seeth-
ing abysses, whence It seemed unlikely We
should ever rise again while every now and
then, some enormous wave would strike full
against US with frishtful violence, and
breaking over our Bows, roll along the deck
with force that threatened to bear all be.
fore it, which we only escaped by clinging
to the ropes and rigging. he gtg.u.l .s.la
The sun OF length set, and darkness began
to close over US, doubling the horrors OF the
still increasing tempest. Suddenly wild
cry from the bow rose above the bowling Of
the storm, and looking ahead, we perceived
a huge mountain of wster rolling rapidly
along the bay, its lofty crest and seethine
sides CLEANING with phosphoric light as ris.
ing each instant higher, it lowered above
our m 4sts. ready to overwhelm and sink our
frail ship at her anchors. We we're 10 i'm
minent peril, and one that no human effort
could evade or lesson; the only thing left
US was submission, snd bowing 10 our fate,
we quietly awaited it: The fatal moment
had apparently come, for the hugo wave was
6oveting over our devoted vessel, when she
unexpectedly rose on the crest OF smaller
one, presenting her bows to the enormous
billow, which struck against her with vio-
lsnce that threatened TO shatter her. The
wster and spray fell over her in binding
deluge, the unfortunate vessel moaned and
rembled us il her hour were come, and
there was terrible. though momentary
struggle. The next, the wave passed on,
leaving US aAoat, but both our cables had
parted with the shock, and we found we
were being swept back from the anchorage
towards the long line Of surf.bound coast
under our lee. Ere we had reached more
than half way to the shore, whole line OF
beacon fires blssed suddenly up, revealing
the tremendous surf that broke along the
beach. A short space more, and we reach.
Cd it's outer edge, and struck heavily upon
the rocks, while the breakers roared and
surged fiercely around US, as If eager to be.
gin thsi, work. But the next high wave
swept us farther on. to strike again, untils
ere many minutes we're over, the good ship