Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-02-29
Whaling near Shore.
From he San Diego (Cd,.) linton

Bulne expectations, lnree whales, In ad-
dition to those previously reported
have been caught, making thus far this
season five, whose aggregate yield Of oil
will amount to $50 barrels. Whalers
are now seen nearly every day outside of
the heads, sometimes in schools and Of
ten singly. On Saturday last fifteen
were observed at once. On this day
large bull was harpooned, which gave
its captors considerable trouble. Two
others were fastened to the same day,
but escaped. The day previous a good
sized bull was taken. On Sunday large
COW whale and calf were captured the
calf being worthless for oil-making, was
allowed to float away. The COW, however,
was fine catch, and being extremely
fat, its blubber will not yield less than
seventy-five barrels of prime oil.
The method of taking the whale here
is similar to that practiced by the crews
Of whaling vessels, with this difference ;
that the watch upon whaler is kept at
the masthead, while our whalers are al
ways on the lookout and constantly on
the ground usually frequented by the
whales at this season of the year. When
a whale is observed by the lookout upon
a regular whaler, the call, "There she
blows !" is the signal for lowering and
manning the boats. No such exciting
scene is gone through by the San Diego
whalers. The cry, "There she blows !"
is to them the signal for bending to their
oars and starting in instant pursuit.
Not moment is lost, everything being
in entire readiness in expectancy of the
welcome call The last and largest
whale captured this season, made an in
teresting chase. Her blowing was OBJ
served by the crews of the four boats al
most simultaneously. The moment she
was seen the orders came quick and sharp
from the boatswain in command, and at
once the men bent to their oars with a
will, making their boats bound over the
water with such speed as would astonish
green hand. The whale, however,
seemingly unconscious OF the close
proximity of its would-be destroyers, at
regular intervals sounded and returned
to the surface to blow, evidently enjoy
ing himself hugely. Soon the boats
we're up with the mammouth of the
deep" and nearly in reach of its ponder
Gus Aukes. Having pulled their craft
into such position as would allow the
harpooneIs to take good aim and to dart
their lances with accuracy, the boats
crew lay on their oars, awaiting the sig
nal to discharge their lances. Soon il
was given, and one bomb and three
other lances were simultaneously dis
charged at the whale. If the speed o
the boats when only impelled by the oar
of the crew seemed immense, it now wa
almost startling.
No sooner were the harpoons darted
than off dashed the whale at a furiou
rate. Stout lines, however, towed tn
boats after it, and soon the fury of the
wounded whale subsidized, and it lay up
on the surface of the water an inanimat
carcass. After the death Of the whale
the danger and accompanying eXcitemen
being over, the work mo play work, bu
real genuine labor must be performe
10y the boats crew; it is necessary to sc
cure the carcass, and to do this it mus
, be lowed to some sheltered place, wher
it may be cut up. The San deg
whalers have chosen Ballast Point fo
: this purpose its close proximity to tn
, mouth of the harbor and sheltered pc
sition rendering it the most advantage
Gus point on the bay. After towing i
: the whale and dragging it as far on shor
us possible, the labors OF the boat crew
; are finished. They then seek the KEEL
again, to lie in wait for more whales.
= AS soon as the captured whale hf
been brought inside the point and mad
| secure, it is taken charge of by a fore
t of thirty-four men, employed for til
' purpose of trying the oil from the blul
her. These men are divided up int
2 gangs, some of which are employed
: stripping the Dlubber, others in carr,
= ing, some attending to fires, &c. TW
large watts or pots with a capacity of OF
, hundred and fifty gallons each, are col
e stantly filed with blubber, from whic
e the oil is rendered. The fuel used
: principally refuse blubber, which max
S Il fine heat and villainous stencil. III
a blubber, after being stripped into piec
: of from thirteen to six inches, is carrie
c to these watts and thrown into them
= such quantities as will nearly fill the We
| sells. The fires below are carefully waite
X ed and not allowed to get too low or tt
e fierce.
Two men stand by with long pole
whose duty is to stir the boiling mass
blubber and keep it from burning, thu
, insuring a good quality of oil At eaC
u u pot is also a man with big straine
;. whose business is to fish out the piec
Il OF blubber as fast as they are sufficient
"browned,' and throw them into We
=" sell From this they are taken to
= machine and subjected to pressu
" which compels them to yield.all the
= that is left in them. When the watts co
Il tain sufficient quantity of oil, it is taxi
!, out with large pot,ladles and pour
a into large casks to cool. From the
Il casks it is drawn off into others for shi
|. ment to San Francisco. Some idea
= the importance of the whaling busine
- at this port may be formed from Z
~ quantity of oil exported last year. I
:: though the business is yet in its infanc
Is the export of oil amounted in 1871
p q, 1888 gallons. Already this season rs
;, gallons have been made, and the pro
poets for a shipment greatly in exec
-, of the previous year are very encoura
III ing
A BRUTAL CRIME. On Sunday MOI
t, .ng some persons at SuSquehannn Dep
Penn, found a little negro boy,
ne years old, asleep in one of the Compan