The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1872-06-20
How they Fight whales.

The following vivid sketch Of
whale hunt is from n correspond.
euce Of the Baltimore COH,morcidi
Bulletin, Of a rccsu, issue
We are now within a cables length
of the nearest whales, score OF boats
close in our wake, and another ships
boat tapping upon us Grim John
Daggctt, the mate, seemed going mai
his eyes starting from their sockets,
teeth c!inchod aud baroheadod !
pulled the after oar, and 50 ho guid
cd the boat with one hand his 9th
er at every stroke caught my oar,
throwing it against my breast, while
its long blade quIvercd like piece Oi
spring steel. Sill the other boat
gaiued-creepiug slowly abreast Of
us.
"Pull, men-oh, if you love money,
pull Don't lot the boat pass US ! Oh,
spring, every mothers son of you
boys, if you love, pull. A keg OF ter.
baccer among yer, if we get up to
this whale | All, he blows Oh, God,
what back, broader'n the old wo.
mans parl or. Steady, now men /;
not whisper, if you want to live I!
One morke strokc--stand up, har-
pooner. Don't 80 miss him, boys !,
loook out when he rounds up-cool,
NY boy, cool--give it to him"
Down under my oar blade saw a
huge black body, and the boat struck
something harder than wave.
"Slarn all starn all | tell ye,
thunicrcl grim oil Nicklngs AMI |
knew that we were fast. Heavens I.
how the line flew out, as if madenci
with pain the monster plunged down.
ward 0ne-two-threo hCndred
ialhcms Of line out, not sound in the
boat, save the cracking of tho line as
il runs smoking along the loggerhcad,
tho mate tightening it every bound il
would bear-eycrY man braccd firm
in his seat, grasping an oar and wait
Ing. But now the slender cord slack
ened, for tired anl broathless, our
prey is coming up.
As | lcaael over the < unwale the
waters were clear as crystal aud !
iancicd | could SEQ the immense dep, h
in the tranquil element 1t is posi-
ble q more than fablcd giant is com.
ing thence to battle with uS. And 10
u few minutes will it bc his blood or
ours that shall turn this pcllucii
blue TO turbid crimson A shout
startled me, aud looking around, there
lashing the sea to SNOW drifts, rolled
our prey. Aud what an antagonist
At least eighty feet long, OF huge
girth, he lay on his back (tho cache
lots favorite way of ighting) his head
depressed, aud jaw, fully fifteen feet
long, elevated in the air, and bristllng
with sharp cleaning, white teeth.
His roaring was fearfal. Down to
our oars, and iu a moment our mate
had his lance at work.
Keen as razor blade, that long
thin lance found its way through hide
aud sinsw, past piled up flesh and rib,
burying its head in the very yitals OF
tho monster. His throes of agouy
were terrible and pitiful. At every
lance thrust his huge body would Quiz
ver along its entire length, aud the
bright red blood, hot from his heart,
rush in a torrent from his spiracic In
vain he turns upon us-tho well train
ed crow slip the boat out from under
his very jaw, aud be shnts 1t down to
crnsh US, and as ho rushes by, again
the lance cuts its cruel way.
No play. this kind of hunting. No
long ranged rifles fred from a safe dis.
tauce. A grand hand-to hand COM
bat, grappliog the greatest living an-
imal in a life aud death struggle. No
place in that boat for weak nerves.
These be earnest men sna.ching sub.
sstance for families from out Of the
sea, aud conquering its king liz
strives to escape. but tho iroa is gall
ing, and spouting ten gallons Of blood
at every b.eath, he ia growing week
Tho blood has covered us and the
old mste looks like the butcher ho is