Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1876-08-30


To TAX" even stak-rs.
Noutlcllcr. August 2-l
WHALING ON THE CALIFOKNIA COAST
-Wh,ling on the coast of California is
carried on to 4 considerable extent by
companies of Portuguese stationed ut va
rlou> points south OF san Francisco. i here
are two companies on the coast of san
/ NJ Geo county, one ut Point Pillar. near
Half Moon Bay. the other At Pigeon Point
T Thc Portuguese wh;tlcr>, taken rs a class,
are Il slovenlv, hardy and reckless people,
and are all experienced whaler-. most of
them having followed the business for
yr;us, making long and perilous voyages.
The company at Pigeon Point. which is
4 f. sample of the many combinations,
i composed of twenty-five men. The
company is Oilictrtd something like n
/ ship: they have ! captain, first and second
mtlcS. steward. carpenter, StllmAker. etc.
4 IWo on three Of the members are tOlcrtblc
musicians, and Frequently on Sunday after
moons they play the guitar and violin,
while the le-t of the company trip the
heavy broyan> to the tune of : Ii CHM
arcta, the only recognized air of all
Portuguese whalcr>.
They are all of thtm Catholics of a lib
eral stamp peculiar 10 themselves. Lint
lhrI observe hV fasting. singing. and oc-
ca>onal PRAYER, dancing on Sundays and
drinking wh~hcv 10 keep up their tnlhu-
>tsm. This may not he strictly in &c ord
lncr with the rules Of modern theology
but it j. very agreeable To their ideas,
Altogether they occupy about \ dozen
neatly whitcwl>hed cottages. the ltrgrst
of which j. used for II kitchen, dining
room, c'llpcl an dancing hail For tht
rcnt Of these cottages and the necessary
space for ct.tlng up and frying out tn,
whales they give ouetwclfth OF the oil
lhc company owns fi.e whaleboal> IN,
two skitf> and large quantity of o;hcl
Whaling gear.
The whalehoat> are long. narrow. An,
Sharp AZ both ends. and built tor speed
they have CARRYING capacity OF abou
: five tons each. The skitf> are used fo
! ca.r-ing The men from the shore to wher,
til" WhaicbOat~ are moorcd in the bay
hen out cruising for whales they US,
three boats. with seven men in each boat
i One boa, always leads OF and goes direct
Is at'cr ,hr whale. while the o;her boat
) follow At intervals some distance behind
! Should Tie ii :, boat sail past and miss til,
Whale. the others in their turn should hav,
$ 4 ch,ncc at il, If any ,ccId,nt happen.
To- any Of the boats. the rrmtinin- boat
20 immediately ID it> assistance. Ih,'
have = small platform on The roof Of on
: Of tie c, ttaLr~ where 4 man with 1 pti
Of marine glasses keeps a close loob on
= for :. passing whale Fine man on tn
: lookout i relieved cvrlv Two hours. Whrl
: not out after whales the rnrn pass The tim
AVA: by playing "padro." fishing o
luUr ring around.
When a Wilde j. sighted from the look
: out the men Instantly drop everything els
= and hasten 10 their boats. This about III
/ only time 4 Portuguese " hnlrr j. known I
/ quicken hl> movements. The boats 500
h .,,t undrrwci-h. and they pursue tn
i wlll. untl it i ovcrhaulcd, one end of
4 rope i ft~tcncdtn the harpoon and the Oh
e cr end I" the boat. The whale is the
J. made fast and .nnrt soap. Thc whaI
a i th,n killed by firing bombs into it ii
dead The bombs used are about ci-l
n incl.> in length and one inch in ii ,m",rt
= After the whale is Killed the three boa,
II make fast to it and tow il mo the shore
n it j. then hauled a, far up on the bank :.
/ possible
{ he bubbrr j. then cat of in pirc,
: abou two feet long. on" foot wide and :;
: thick as the blubhcr may chance 10 be
\ Sometimes it viii be four inches. and o'
II cnsiunaliv eight inches. Thc hlubbcr
IS then hau ed UP the bank by aid of hor>
1t power. when it is again cut A.. this tim
in very small pieces. and allowed to pa
u TALLY decay. The oil is then fried GA
$, hnrrcllcL up and shipped TO san Franci>c
s Last Year the company shipped about fnl
c hundred btrrcl~ OF oil. bringing about ii.
t. Thousand two hundred dollars lit
l" more jhat two hundred dollars per We:
Il for each man DrluctinL the amour
l. paid for bread whi~krv. p'!l taxes III
other necessities there is little left. Ta
: iny the Pigeon Point Company rs an a
: rrA"r station. Whaling for profits does n
II pay on This coa>t.-.>M Nlleo (Cd}
'c ItnfS.
of fI~IIIN,. WITH CoKMOHANrs IN EN-
u, LA>p.-A very curiol> sport IS Talnlr
'd ctound in this country The Use of co
ld morants for tishin" purposes has bee
L practIced for centuries by the Chimes
tn who carefully train these birds to deliv
their prey uninjured to their masters il
stead farpropriating it to their own us
II and from China and other oriental cou
III tries it has been brought to Englan
,r Cormor;nt fishing recalls in Il mcasu
st the old days of falconry, with the exec
n lion that while the feas of the traln'
If hrwks and falcons were performed
r. mid air. the performances of the ''s
;c crow as the Frnech call it, take place
!. the water With :, ring placed aroul