The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-05-02

The Sea Thrasher.

l was very much interested II Cap
tain Nemo's letter on the ihrasher.
which appeared in recen: number Of
the Sun. He is doubtless right in say
Ing that the shrasher has frequently
been mistaken for the sea serpent As
few are perhaps aware, right whalv,
frequently find their way into the Bay
of Fundy. and are there captured. The
Bay II also a fsvsrite resort tor the
thrasher aud swordfsh have heard
old coasters say they have seen thrash
crs A. and 80 feet long, moving with
great velocity on the surface OF the VA
ter. their heads raised ten or twelve feet
above. Bay Of Fundy fishermen, in
speaking OF them, say they are the
greatest of sea villains. Twenty odd
years ago one Of the monsters got
caught on . sand bank, where he was
left by the rapid falling Of the tide in
the Cumberland branch Of the Bay of
Fundy, aud was killed by the people
on shore after All exciting struggle. He
measured i6 feet in length. As Capt
Memo says, the head is nat and serpent
like. the eyes almost red. with ugly
white circles over them Indeed. noth-
ing could be more rcpulsive than the
head Of this sea monster. The only
other sea villain they are known TO fra
/ ternize with is the swordtish. Both are
we'll known 10 old coasters aud fisher
men as the deadly enemy of the whale;
/ aud it is the common belief that they
hunt in couples. and on finding the
whale make immediate war, the sword
fish attacking beneath and the thrasher
Oh top.
The common belief is that the thrash.
or has a huge weapon like O sledge
hammer, protruding from his mouth,
j with which be administers on the whale
/ back those terrible blows You can hear
ten or twelve miles distant. have my
self stood on bluff overlooking the
Bay OF Fundy, and witnessed three of
these terrible battles between whale
and its enemies, the swordfish and the
thrssh.r. The swordtish did his dead
iy work underneath. while, as Captain
Memo SAYS, the thrAsher co,led himself
half over the whale, and applied the
blows with his poudernus tail. In the
distance. however, the thrasher seems to
raise and let his Weapon fall very much
a. blacksmith's helper handles his
sledge. You could see the weapon rise
and tall; you could hear the blows dis
tinc.ly, although the distance WAS be-
leved TO lie not less than ten miles from
the shore, and you could also hear the
whale below and see him blow. On
one Of these occasions the terrible con
test lasted nearly three hours. the water
III the vicinity being red with blood.
About every fifteen minutes the whale
would disappear in An attempt to es-
cape from its enemies. but they would
quickly pursue him and force him to
I the surface. where the combat would
/ be renewed.
/ These two sea Williams, the swOrdtish
aud thrashcr, invariably Kill the whale
when they get him into close quarters;
and as soon ~ the comb ceases. which
can be clearly seen by the whales body
floating motionless, the th.asher will
proceed to clear water, where, raising
his serpent like head in triumph, ten or
fifteen feet above the surface, he will
continue. sometimes. for twenty min
utes la-hing the sea into a foam.
A RURAL youth came into town yes
terday to have his photograph taken.
A. he entered the gallery tie appeared
oil of sudden 10 remember something
that he had forgotten, and darting out
again spent an hour III fruitless search
for bootblsck, aud returned home
! without photograph. He said he was
not going to have bis picture taken in
:hem dirty boots. Norris'ora Htrah.
Cnwarrsntable intrusion-Gentle
men: II hear You had bad luck on Fri
isy, JeinY' Hun,sman Luck. sir:
l believe yer. A lot of them blarmei
townies come out ollerin an1 shout
in the poor foxes out o their seventeen
senses The Queen ough,er make q law
as they shouldn't bu,ld no towns not
within ten miles % pack of 'ounds. -
London F'aa