Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-09-09
Capture Of a School Of Whales In the
Cromarty Firth, British Coast-fhirty-
six Killed I'm n single Night.

90 q iron, the Ixerness Advertiser. j II
ON Wednesday morning an extraor-
binary capture Of whales was made IN
the Cromarty Firth, close by the town
of Dingwall On the previous alter
noon large shoal Of Shese gigantic
creatures, afterwards ascertained to be
of the bottle-nose species, had been OBJ
served sporting themselves In the water
about half mile distant from Invergor-
don harbor, and were Immediately pur-
sued by boats full of eager crews from
Invergordon, Saltburn, Ballintraid, and
the coast, the object of the pursuers be-
ing to run them into shallow water aud
strand them. The fish, however, kept
compactly together, all the while NOV
ing backwards and forwards about the
center of the channel, which. Is very
deep, for the space of four of five hours,
and several shots were fired at them
from the boats without any visible eff
feet. Ultimately, about six o'clock in
the evening, they took a start up the
Firth, whittier they were closely follow
ed by the boats, and hot chase ensred.
The tide was at this time on the ebb,
and there was every chance of the fish
being driven into shallow water. The
. scene was animating In the extreme.
The pulrsuers arrived at Novar Bay
about light o'clock, having succeeded in
keeping the fish ahead of them all the
time, although the frightened creatures
took many turns and windings, as if In
the endeavor to escape down the Firth
or keep in the greatest possible deptf
of water. The water, however, at. thi:
point, is extremely shallow In some
places, and as stray tisf
got separated from its companions
it inevitably went aground, and was
! Immediately surrounded by some of the
boats, the crew of which, armed with
all sorts of weapons, from a shovel to a
crowbar, made short work of the poor
victim. In this way good many were
captured from between the shore OF
Fowls and the opposite coast all the
way down to Dingwall. Night did not
stop the operations of those who had
engaged in the pursuit. Love OF sport
and the chance of gain acted as a strong
incentive to the pursuers, and those
who were not fortunate enough TO
strand their whale, previously push6 d
on to the head of the Firth, gathering
strength on the way, until perfect lit
tie fotilla of fishing cobles, rowing
and sailing boats, and pleasure yachts,
had arrived within view of Dingwall.
The night was clear and favorable.
Shortly after twelve o'clock and early in
the morning those of the shoal who had
managed to get this length grounded
among the mud and sand opposite the
burgh, facing to the northeast. 1t was
now that the work began in right ear
nest. rt,
A number of the towns-people were
prepared for what was likely to happen,
and fastened to the scene. A general
massacre ensued. and was continued un-
til late hour in the morning, when no
less than thirty-six were found TO have
been killed In this way, some of the fish
as large as twenty feet, and one, we are
assured, no less than twenty-eight feet
long, but by far the greater number be-
ing from fifteen feet to eighteen feet.
The total number captured, including
those on the other parts of the Firth
and on the coast, is estimated at be-
tween fifty and sixty, and it is conf
IDENTIFY asserted that few, if any, of the
shoal succeeded in making their escape.