The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1875-10-02
Whales and whalsmen.

natured spermaceti are buoyant and smil-
ing on the surface Of the sea, but nine-tenths
of their entire bulk are above the combing
waves; in fact, they ride the crested foam
light as an eider.duck. His right whales,
spry as salmon, make clean leaps in the
air over the heads of admiring boats
crews, and he actually found captain Of
the Royal Navy 10 swear to such playful
practice on the part Of these 1.-THE and ac-
tive creatures. In connection with this
habit Of preaching, Mr.. Bennett, +. K. G.
g., remarks, in his narrative Of whaling
voyage: "a large part Of cachalots gam
boiling on the surface Of the sea Is one of
the most curious and imposing speetaeles
a whallng-voyage affords the huge size
and uncOuth agility of these monsters ex-
hibiting strange combination Of the
grand ridiculous. On such occasions, it
Is not unusual to observe a whale Of the
largest size leap from the water with the
actiUity Of a salmon, display the entire of
its gigantic form suspended several feet
in the air, and again plunge into the sea
with helpless and tremendous fall.
"And Mr.. Beale, who gives by far the
most correct drawing of the sperm-whale
Of any British author (yet incorrect in rep
resenting the small as very long and slen-
der), also gives the figure Of one descend
ing head first, from fight in the air, the
end Of the head being ten feet, and the
tail being sixty or seventy feet up. Now
l am not willing 10 say that these gentle
men did not see just what is represented
| can only offer the negative testimony,
that Of the many American whaling cap
tains of greatest experience to whom the
question has been put: "Did you ever sec
whale thus leap clear Of the water p the
answer has been "No" "Do you believe
they possess the power ?" "No, excepting
perhaps very young calves" From this
| infer that such sights are seen from
English ships, and are not seen from
American vessels. can only account
for the discrepancy from the fact that our
ships often sail without rum, and run on
cold water. have no idea of tho look Of
a whale seen through six glass magnfier,
each glass containing a lump of sugar,
with spoon to stir the stoaming contents.
One Of our old salts swears that an addi-
tional tail appears on the whale for every
glass of grog after the third. He remem-
bers once to have seen whale that had a
perfect fog of tails, and jaw clear down to
the hump"
The sperm-whale attains very great
size. The measure of whale in whaling
parlance, is indicated by the number Of
barrels of oil it will make. Ask any old
whaling-captain of forty years experience,
how long is the longest sperm-whale, and
he will strive to answer the question by
estimating the known proportions of his
ship. "Let me see. From Just forrard
Of fore-swifter to the main-swifter, we'll,
say forty-fve feet, and you have his eye
allow one-third for the head, and you have
seventy-two. Well, now, seventy-two feet
is a long whale but never measured
one. The largest whale we took made
one hundred and seven barrels. Its
length was 79 feet; from the nose TO the
bunch of the neck, 20 feet; thence TO the
hump, 20 feet; from hump to tail, II
feet length of tail Z feet; breadth Of tail,
l6 feet inches; height at forehead, IL
feet; width, 8 fttt 6 inches; girt at fin,
Al feet 9 inches at junction of tail, Z feet
0 inches lower jaw, 16 feet long, and Al
inches in circumference at thick part. It
had 81 teeth, the heaviest weighing 25
ounces. Blubber on back, Is inches on
side, IL to Is inches; and belly, 8 to 10
inches. The hump was two feet above
the level. The ease made 10 barrels
body, 739 barrels; junk, l4l barrels.
Captain Sullivan, Of the james Arnold, of
New Bedford of New Zealand, took in one
voyage eight whales that made over 100
barrels each, the largest yielding 1877
barrels. The head Of this made So barrels,
and the case baled q barrels. II was so
feet long the aukes Is feet, jaw Is feet,
case % feet, and forehead 1871 feet high.
During the same season and on the same
ground, Captain Vincent, ship Oneida, of
New Bedford, took ten sperm whales,
which slowed l,l4O barrels. Captain
Norton, ship Monka, of New Bedford, took
on the of-shore ground n sperm.whale that
slowed l45 barrels; the dimensions of
this monster were not taken. The proper
tions of whales very much with the sex
and age. The young bulls and the cows
are slender; the cows are about one third
the size the Of the bull, when measured by
the oil they yield"
"There is Captain Henry Hunting,
son Of Southampton too, who ran the
gauntlet, boy and man, boat-steerer, mate,
and captain, and never had man killed
in his boat, and excepting one ugly knock
on the knee from whales fukes, was
never hurt in his long experience. And
there's his brother, Captain Jim. Ifthcre
ever was a man to believe that whalemen
are wonderfully preserved, he is the man. |
Did any Of you ever see Captain james
Hunting? NoP Then Just figure to
yourselves a young giant, seventy-eight |
inches in his stocking-feet, two hundred |
and fifty pounds in weight, aud not an |
ounce Of fat to cut his wind-proportions
Of Hercules, and the face Of man.
when he was boat-steercr, a sperm
whale stove his boat, and rolled il ever on
him. He came up under ii all tangled in
the line that was coiled in the stern-sheets
Of the boat. He fought like giant to
throw off the deadly coil. It was about
his body, his arms and his neck. 1t was
for dear life that he was working, and he
knew the odds were against him. Hegot
rid Of the line, as he thought, and had got
a breath Of the blessed air and glance at
Gods sunlight, when he was jerked out Of
the sight of his horrifed shipmates. A
blight Of the line, yet attached to the
whale, was around his ankle.
and he bid goodbye to this world as he
was plunging into the deep sea. Yet he
was alert to take instant advantage Of a
slack in the speed Of the whale. Drawing
himself forward BY the line, with his sheath.
knife he severed the cord beyond the en-
tangled foot, and rose to the surface, ex.
by the time he had been under
aud the lacerating wounds inflicted BY the