The weekly standard., 1869-09-08
lHebrides Correspondent of the London Times
A Wonderful Fish Story-An Army of
Whales off the Hebrides Islands-The
Islanders Turn Out by Hundreds
The Most Successful Whale
Fishery on Re.

This morning, at about o'clock, while
sleeping on board my yacht in Stornoway
harbor, was awoke by loud noise of men
shouting and hammering near the yacht 1
went on deck Immediately, when observed
number of men in three or four boats at
temting to drive shoal Of large fish mum
bering perhaps 200) toward the shore The
fish, which were evidently of the whale
species, were blowing, and constantly rising
to the surface of the water; they turned to-
ward the sea, and were closely followed by
the boats, which shortly turned them again
toward the mouth of the harbor. The
movement was repeated several times, and
after while some other boats, well man.
ned, appeared.
The scene now became still more interest
ing, for the whales, being more hardly
pressed, made brilliant dash toward the
sea, going away at terrific pace in
straight course for the open sea the speed
appeared to be nothing less than forty 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
suddenly upon point of land which shoal-
ed the water, a turn to the right brought
| them again IN the direction of the harbor;
| an hour or two soon passed, and the fisher
men of Stornoway becoming aware of what
was going on, began to join in the chase,
and dozen boats were soon in pursuit, the
whales now making way for the distant
| part of the bay, and again baff1ed by the
projecting points of land bending the course
of the deep water, returned upon their pur-
suers again and again.
1t was now nearly 9 o'clock, and it ap-
peared as if every human being in the town
were bent on making the capture of so valu-
able prize. Boats containing men, women
and children flocked to the scene of action,
and soon fifty rowing and sailing boats were
engaged in the chase, and as the rowers be-
came exhausted by the tremendous exertions
of long continued and fast rowing of heavy
boats, they were relieved by relays from the
people on the shore; the numerous fisher
men who first Joined the sport were now re-
placed by bakers, butchers, masons, carpen-
tiers, women and children. The shops were
closed and the town deserted; and so the
hunt continued. So 10, II, 10 and o'clock
came, and certainly, if the inhabitants of
these islands are as persevering and as indie
fatigable always as they have proved them
selves to-day, they deserve to be the most
prosperous people in the world.
Not an instant were the whales permitted
to rest; continually harrassed, from having
peen tlmld In the extreme when first attack
ed, tney now became careless of their enc
my, and allowed themselves to be struck by
the oars as they rushed past the boats to es-
cape from the various creeks into which
they had been pressed. At o'clock P. NJ,
they were dislodged from position which
they had maintained for some hours in
distant part of the bay or outer harbor
Again they made several attempts to escape,
but by an unlucky turn they rushed over
shoal ground, and now the most exciting
time of the day came. Maddened by the
difficulty of moving in shallow water, the
whales dashed frantically from side to side.
raising the sea into violent breakers, as
though gale had disturbed the water, rock
ing the small trading vessels to and fro as
they approached.
The boats now began to come up in numbers
the whales were blinded by the commotion
they had created, thickening the shallow
water. Having kept closely united during
the whole day, the shoal now became divid-
ed; 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.
will not attemptto describe what is still
going on; suffice it to say that, as far as
can judge, and from the opinion of the
fishermen, that there will be at least 300
whales taken; half that number are already
killed, and as many more are safe within
the Sharbor- The whales are, I believe
all of one kind, known as the bottle
nose species; they measure in length from
ten feet to twenty-one feet The fisher
men will make great gain by this prize,
/ and they will deserve it. The chase from
the first until the whales were driven within
the inner harbor, lasted upward of thirteen
hours, commencing at 2 o'clock, A. M, and
the first being killed soon after P. M. It
is said to be seventeen 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 wit
messed, and one never to be forgotten.
Since writing the above, 1 learn that 175
whales are already killed. The value, I un-
derstand, is estimated at upward of e7OO.