Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-08-25
A FISH STORY.
extraordinary Capture of Whales.

$AoA "AhoFy capture OF W nhleSs
The following remarkable story appears
in the London Times:
SIR: send you the following account OF
whale chase, believing it will be interest
ing to many Of your readers:
This morning, at about s O'Clock, A. NJ.
while sleeping aboard my yacht in Storno-
way harbor, [ was awoke by loud noise OF
men shouting and hammering near the
yacht. L went on deck Immediately, when
L observed o number of men in three or
four boats attempting to drive shoal Of
fish numbering, perhaps, 200) towards the
shore. The fish, which were evidently of
the whale species, were blowing, and con-
stently rising to the surface of the water
They turned towards the sea, and were
closely followed by the boats, which
shortly turned them again towards the
mouth OF the harbor. The movement was
repeated several times, and after awhile
some other boats well manned appeared.
The scene now became still more interest
ing, for the whales, being mole hardly
pressed, made a brilliant dash toward the
sea, going away at terrific pace in q
straight course for the open sea, the speed
appeared to be nothing less than 40 miles
an hour, the water rising in misty foam as
they cut their way through it, The course
the whales were taking left little hope for
the success of their pursuers, but coming
upon point of land which shoaled the
water, o sudden turn to the right brought
them again in the direction of the harbor:
an hour or two soon passed, and the fish
ernen of StornoWay, becoming aware of
what was going on, began to join in the
chase, and dozen boats were soon in pur-
suit, the whales now making away for the
distant part of the bay, and again bafled
by the projecting points of land
bending the course of the deep wa
ter, returned upon their pursuers again and
again. 1t was now nearly 8 o'clock, and it
appeared as if every human being
in the town was bent onmaking the capture
Of so valuable prize. Boats containing
men, women and children focke4 to the
scene OF action, and soon so rowing and
sailing boats We're engaged in the chase,
and as the rowers became exhausted by
the tremendous exertion of long continued
and fast rowing of heavy boats they were
relieved by relays from the people on
shore; the numerous fishermen who first
joined IN the sport were replaced now by
bakers, butchers, masons, carpenters, WON
en- and children. The shops were closed
and the town deserted, and so the hunt
came, and, certainly, if the inhabitants of
these islands are as persevering and as in
detatigable always as they have proved
themselves to day, they deserve to be the
most prosperous people in the world. Not
an instant were the whales permitted to
rest continually harrasssed, from having
been tlmld IN the extreme when first at
tackled, they now become careless of their
enemy and allowed themselves to be struck
by the oars as they rushed past the
boats to escape from the various creeks
into which they had been pressed. At 3
o'clock p. M. they were dislodged from a
position which they had maintained for
some hours in distant part of the bay or
outer harbor, and were driven about q mile
toward the inner harbor. Again they made
several attempts to escape, but by an un-
lucky turn they rushed over shoal GROUND
and now the most exciting time of the day
came. Maddened by the difficulty of NOV
ing in shallow water, the whales dashed
frantically from side to side raising the sea
into violent breakers as though a gale had
disturbed the water, rocking the small trad
ing vessels to and fro SIS they approached.
The boats now began to come up in num-
bers; the whales were blinded by the COM
motion they had created, thickening the
on"tiOh ""OOi' 1itfillS hSpG CLOSELY united
during the whole day, the shoal now be-
came divided; they seemed, as it were, to
become at once bewildered, and allowed
themselves to be goaded by the boats to the
shore, to be dispatched one by one by the
fishermen.
l will not attempt to describe what is still
going on; suffice it to say that, as far as l
can judge, and from the opinion Of the fish
erman, there will be at least 200 whales
taken; half that number are already killed
and as many more are safe within the har-
Dor. The whales are, [ believe, ali of one
kind, known as the bottle-nose species;
they measure in length from 10 to p feet
The fishermen will mike a great gain by
this prize, and they well deserve it. The
The chase from the first, until the whales
were driven within the inner harbor, lasted
upward of 13 hours, commencing at 2
o'clock q. m., and the first being killed
soon after 3 p. m. 1t is said to be II years
since shoal Of whales has entered this bay
SO far; the event of to-day has been the most
exciting thing have ever seen-a scene
seldom witnessed and one never to be for
gotten.
Since writing the above I learn that 175
whales are already killed. The value, I
understand, is estimated at upward of G700.
am sir, yours truly. G. E. MUNTz.
Royal Thames yacht, Waterlilly, Storno-
way, July %.