The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-09-03
A Pair Of Pisb s.orisr.

A WHALE CAUGHT ~ 4 EUETkEISE CABLE
! Writing from Kgrrzchee. Iadla, on The
9Th uldmo, a correspondent signing him
sell H. Izaak walton send the following
to the London Tine
"Thc cable between KuuEchee and
Gwadur Ia distance Of about three hun
dfed miles, suddenly tailed On the even.
ing OF the iih Instant The telegraph
steamer Amber Witch, under the com
mand OF Captain Bishop Gate ]. n } with
the electrical and engineering stan under
Alr. Henry Nance, proceeded On the FOL
lowing day to repair the damage, which
by tests taken IT either end appeared 10
be one hundred and eighteen miles from
| kurnchcc The Amber Witch arrived
on the ground at =. ", On the 9Th, Il
heavy sea and thick i1g prevailing at the
time, but tho cable Was successfully crap.
pied within quarter Of mile OF the
| fault
The s0undIngs at the fault were very
irregular, with over tails from 30 to 20
ialhoms, Ga winding IN the cable unu
sual resistance was experienced, US Il Il
were foul Of rocks, but after pTseycring
for some time the body OF an immense
whale, entangled In the cable, WAS brought
TO the surface, when it was found 10 be
firmly secured by two and one half turns
OF the cable Immediately above the tail
Sharks and other fish had partly eaten
the body, which was rapidly decompOs-
ing, the Jaws falling away on reaching
the surface. The tail, which measured
fully twelve feet across, was perfect, and
covered with barnacles at the eXtrGmities.
The sea being too rough al the time 10
make use Of the boats an attempt was
made to haul the whale on board, but it's
own weight broke II away from the in
uTCd cable as soon as II was above the
surface
Apparently the whale was a. the time
OF entaDglemGnt rsjug the cable 10. tree II.
sell from parasites, such 40 barnacles,
which annoy them very much, and the
cable, hanging in loop Overa submarine
prcCipicc, he probably, with a iillip Of his
tail, twisted Ii rOnud him, aud thus came
to an unlimely end.
During the time the Amber Witch re
mained on the ground large school OF
whales continued to play in close Vi
cinily Of the ship, frequently blowing
within u dozen yards Vi the vessel, and |
even rubbing themselves against the Aaw.
ser by which the ship was secured
Before the outbreak OfIhe Civil War
several American whalcrs regularly ire
Qucntcd the coast Of BeloochlstAn, and |
were generally very successful in filling
up with oil in n single season, but OF late
years the whale fishery In these waters
has been abandoned.
"To show how closely these whales can
be approached, may mention that was
coming in native boat from OrmAra TO
KurraChcc, distance Of one hundred and
forty miles, on the 18th Of November,
1872. The inhabitants OF the coast looked
on me ny u ladOo.wallAh, or magician,
when first introducing the telegraph into
their inhospitablc country, and rcmem'
bcring the annual display Of metcors that
would take place about tho time oil my
leaving Ormara, told my wild boAtmen
To expect shower OF stars during the
night. The meteoric display duly com
menCed about A. NJ, and shortly alter
ward an enormous whale came alongside,
and kept company with the boat, now
and then passing under II and grazing II
with his back, much TO our alarm. Hav-
ing double. barreled nle and revolver
under the corkbed on which was lying,
| wished to fire at the whale, with view
to Brighten him away, but the natives
begged me not to do so, us he would de.
s,roy the boat; and vivid recollCctions OF
the pictures illustrating whale fishing,
with boat thirty feet in the air, bottom
upwards, and the crew with their ropes,
harpoon, &c, coming down head fore
most, satisfied me Of the prudence Of their
advice We made all haste to get into
shallow water, my crew praying luriously |
and shouting to Allah for protection,
when another whale came alnngaidO' and
tho two kept us close company Tor two
or three hours, until We got into some
four ia,homs Of water. Had | not been
well armed should probably have been
treated like Jonah, or disposed OF in some
equally unccremonious manner, although,
perhaps, with II less fortunate result.
AS the officers engaged in repairing
the late fault and the bOatmGn who &C
companied me in 1862 arc all accessible,
| must refer any skeptical readers to them
for confederation Of my statement