The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-11-13
Wonderful Whale Chase-Great Capture
at the Hebrides.

A correspondent sends the following remarka'
BILE account Of a whale chase TO the London
Times, under date Of July %:
This morning at about 3 o'clock, while
Dor, / was awoke by n loud noise OF men shout
ing and hainmering near the yacht. l went ON
deck Immediately, when i observed n number Of
men IN three or four boats attempting to drive n
shoal Of large fish Numbering perhaps 200) to-
ward the shore. The fish, which were evidently
Of the whale species, were blowing, and con-
stantly raising TO the surface Of the water they
turned toward the sea, and were closely followed
by the boats, which shortly turned them again
toward the mouth of the harbor. The move
rnent was repeated several times. and after a
while some other boats well manned appeared.
The scene now became still more interesting. for
the whales being more hardly pressed, made n
brilliant dash toward the sen going away at n
terrific pace in n 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 :heir pursuers, but coming upon n
point of land which shoaled the water, a sudden
turn TO the right brought them again in the
direction of the harbor an hour or two passed,
and the fishermen of Stornoway, becoming aware
OF what was going on, began to Join in the chase,
and q dozen boats were soon in pursuit, 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
water, returned upon their pursuers again and
again. Ii was now nearly 9 O'Clock, and il ap-
peared that every human being in the town was
bent on making the capture Of so valuable a
chase. Boats containing men, women and chill
drcn Hooked TO the scene of action, and soon fifty
rowing and sailing boats were engaged in the
chase, and as the rowers became exhausted by
the tremendous exertion OF long continued and
last rowing Of heavy boats, they were relieved
by relays from the people on shore the numer-
Gus fishermen who first joined in the sport were
replaced now by bakers. butchers, masons, car
penters, women and children. The shops were
closed and the town deserted; and SO the hunt
continued. 10, III, ~ and l O'Clock came, and,
certainly, If the inhabitants Of these islands are
as persevering and interchangeable always as they
have proved themselves to-day, they deserve to
De the most prosperous people in the world.
Not an instant were the whales permitted 10 rest.
continually harIassed from having been timid in
The extreme when first attacked, they now be-
came Careless OF their enemy, and allowed them
selves To be struck by the oars as they rushed
past the boats 10 escape from the various creeks
INTO which they had been pressed. At 3 O'Clock
T. NJ, they were dislodged from a position which
they had maintained for some hours i'm IA distant
part OF the bay or outer harbor, and driven a
nile toward the inner harbor. Again they made
'eyeral attempts to escape, but by an unlucky
urn they rushed over shoal ground, and now the
most exciting time of the day CINE. Maddened
y ehc uihculty ~ moving IN snaiiOW water, the
whales dashed frantically from side to side, rails
ng the sen into violent breakers, rs though n
cale had disturbed the water, rocking the small
.rding vessels to and fro rs they approached.
The boats now began to come up in numbers,
he whales were blinded by the connection they
iad created, thickening the shallow water.
having kept closely united during the day, the
hoal now became divided they seemed. as il
we're, and allowed themselves to be goaded by
he boats to the shore to be dispatched one by
me by the fishermen.
l will not attempt to describe what is still 60
ng on suffice it to say that, rs far rs l can !
udse, and from the opinion of the fishermen,
here will be at least 200 whales taken; half that
lumber are already killed, and as many more are
afe within the harbor. The whales are, l be-
lcve. all of one kind, known as bottlenose
they measure in length from ten to
feet. The fishermen will make "a {
Teat gain by this prize, and they well deserve it.
The chase from the first until the whales were
riven within the inner harbOr, lasted upward of /
thirteen hours, commencing at 2 o'clock A. NJ, ,
nj the first being killed soon after 8 p. NJ. 1t !
said to be seventeen years since 4 shoal of D.,
'baies has entered this bay 50 far the event of !
o-day has been the most exciting thing l have =,
yer seeD-a scene seldom witnessed and one
ever to be forgotten.
Since writing the above I learn that us whales I
re already killed. The value, 1 understand, is !
1t upwards of E700." j.