The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-08-06
THE WHALETAN'S DEVICE.

We entered the Arctic Ocean in IS.
Our ship was the whaler St. Micbael-an
old tub of vessel, whose timbers had
been washed by the sea water for thirty
years.
As we now glided easily along, under
whole topsails, with the water ripping
about our bows, we leaned over the rail
watching the stupendous masses CT ice
which loomed up on all sides, flashing
brightly III the beams of the afternoon
sun.
Suddenly the man at the mainmast-head,
an old boat-steerer named Tom Tirelins,
leaned forward from the cross-trees, Civ
ing the welcome cry of There she blows r.
In moment all hands were called, and
soon after We We're pulling for a school of
bowheads, which had come up far ahead.
Give it to him ~ roared the first mate,
Mr. Thomas, when we were within six
fathoms OF a monster with great hump on
mis- back.
The boat steerer at once obeyed, driving
both irons into the whale.
The monster made II backward rush,
second after up went his lukes, and down
they came within an inch of the boats
teerer's temple.
The whale then went down, and away
few the boat, dragged with terrific We.
locity.
Through the ice we were drawn, the boat
scraping and grinding against the smaller
fragments, and the line hummIng and
humping as it ran smoking around the
logger-head. The ice through which cur
boat was now being dragged merely con-
sisted Of detached fragments, so that there
was at present danger of our beng
stoven.
Far ahead, however, We're larger masses.
some of them in fact looming up as high as
a ships main yard, which must crush our
boat like an ergshell should We come into
contac; with them.
We hoped that the whale would come up
ere we reached that locality, and give our
first mate-oue of tine most skillfui lancers
In ,te seTvice-a chance to kill it.
On-still on, sped the boat, and we found
ourselves drawing alarmingly near the
frowning ramparts of ice.
We were within about fifty fathoms of
them, and the mate had picked up the boat
hatchet, with the intention of severing the
line in case of our getting much nearer,
when up came the whale, booming out
Of the sea, scarcely three ships lengths
ahead.
Haul line =" shouted the first officer.
We obeying, and the boat was drawn
rapidly toward the whale.
When near enough the mate sent his
lance whistling through the air, and struck
the whale in the region of the hump. The
moment he felt tie point of the lance the
monster made the water fly all around him,
beat the sea with his fiukes and rolling his
head from side to side.
Suddenly, when the movement was least
expected, he made dasI for the boat and
just gazed the bow with his .ful<es, knock
ing off portion. to which was attached the
boat hatchet.
t. dow ,.- ,=y "a into he 80,
cham s.
Inc oot N"-- .1 .. 20 an drawn
toward those "a ,e d.
The mate noNIns, o. AJ"n, lost the boat
hatchet, now called 10. /, .lnife.
One OF the men reached over to hand him
one, when coil of the line caught him
around the shoulder, and in endeavoring
to regain his balance and escape the coil he
lost his footing, falling headlong against
his shipmates.
Here was a delay which was attended
with peculiar results
The boat dragged on, seemed about to be
dashed to pieces against the bergs, when
the whale nuling (tnrning) under water, it
was drawn into large ravine between two
masses of ice.
Tins ravine seemed very long. We were
drawn farther and farther into it ere the
mate could succeed in obtaining KIN 4