The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-09-23


fellow; we'll never see him again.
The two other officers were younger
men, and of the same mind. There was
no time lost in further consultation
''Swing the boatI" shouted the old
man.
The lines and irons had already been
thrown in by the crews.
A s'heave, oh - and straining sound,
and in one minute the four boats struck
the water, and the men were settled on
the thwarts with the long oars out.
The sun was low, and large, and red,
and the whole western sea and sky were
magnificent in crimon, and gold, and
black. The picture was one of the fin
est ever saw. The rising sea was jet
black, except where it was bloody; a
broad road of crimson shimmered from
the ship to the sun; the long body of
the whale, even blacker then the sea,
was plainly seen in the ruddy glare; and
life was added to the immense scene by
the four white specks-the whaleboats
closing to point as they drew near
the monster.
1t was not until the boats had left the
ship that we realized how threatening
was the weather. Every moment the
seas came wilder and heavier against the
vessel Only now and again, as they
were lifted on sea, could we catch
| orr Of kha
breeze grew stronger every minute, and
before the first boat neared the whale,
was whistling through the rigging in the
wild way that tells of a coming gale.
The captain regretted the lowering of
the boats, and soon signalled them to
return. But the men were excited, and
refused to see the signals. Filled to
the gunwale, the seas lashing over them
every moment, on they went where only
a thing so nearly perfect as a whale boat
could keep afoat. AS the first boat
swung round to run down to windward
on the whale the red sun stood fairly on
the black field of ocean.
Talk about the bravery of soldiers in
battle or of men ashore i'll any enter
prise you please, what is it to the BRAY
cry of such deed as this? A thousand
miles from land, six men in q twenty
eight-foot shell, coolly going down in a
stormy sea to do battle with the might
est created animal 1t is the extreme
of human GOODNESS and courage, because
it is the extreme of danger. The soldier
faces one peril-the bullet. The whale
man, In such case as this, has three
mighty enemies to fght-the sea, the
gale, and the whale.
We saw the harpooner of each boat
| stand up as they came within hearing
distance, and send in his two irons All
the boats were fast before the monster
seemed to feel the first blow. Then
came the fight-the cruel and unnatural
fight between vast power and cunning
skill. The black water was churned
white as the tiukes struck out in rage
and agony. The sun disapr cared, and
the gale screamed wilder III tho igging.
We could no longer see the boats from
the ship. The few men on board Gle W.
ed up the light sail and took a reef in
the topsails, and by this time the night
was dark as pitch, and the gale had
whipped and howled itself into q hur-
ricane.
It was fearful to think of the four
small boats out in such sea as was then
running. We on the ship had 10 cling
TO the rail or the rigging; the terrific
strength of the waves swept the heavy
| vessel about like cork. I saw the cap
taln's face moment as he passed the
binnacle-lamp, and it was absolutely de-
formed with grief and terror-not for
himself, brave old sailor but for his
boys in the boats.
"Who's that at the wheel 2" he shout
ed; ''send a steady man to the wheel !'
SAY, ay, sir !" answered deep, quiet
voice; "I've got the wheel"
That was Chips, and walked aft to
be near him. just then long hail
came through the darkness, and we saw
| the flash of boats lantern on the lee
quarter. In minute more line was
| flung aboard, fnd we soon had one crew
safe on deck. It was The mates boat.
| 'tWhere are the others?" was the first
question.
''Fast to the whale" was the answer;
ttand there are no lanterns on the boat. +"
| One of the men from the boat relieved
Chips at the wheel, and he went forward
to rig lanterns at the fore and main tops.
When this was done we stood together
on the fore-castle. looking and listening
for the boats. Suddenly he turned to
me and said:
''We're going to lose some one to-
night. VIII lie I was at the wheel it
seemed as if something whispered in my
ear that we were going to lose one man
tonight"
L said he was growing as superstitous
as old Kanka Joe; and he answered: ::
''I can't help it. 1t did seem that I
heard that whisper, and so plain was it
that I nearly dropped the wheel in ter
ror."
Another shout from the sea cut off
further talk, and we soon had two more
boats at the davits, The absent one was
Mr.. Joseph's; and we knew that through
tick and thin he would hold on to the
whale. 1t was hours before we found
him, and when we did he refused to cut