The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-08-24
How a Whaling Captain Escaped q
Horrible Denth--Wonderfui Pres
cncc OF Mind.

Horrible Denth--wonderfui Pres
cnce OF Mind.
from the San Francisco PostI
In 1886 Captain Blank--the Captain does
not wish his name mentioned-was the first
mate OF q whale-ship cruising out OF New
Bedford. The William King was one OF
those old-iashioned tubs peculiar to the last
century, sailing equally we'll either way,
bow or stern. OF Telegraph Hill, near San
Francisco, q school OF whales was raised,
led By an immense bull, and steering in
northerly direction. Two boats were, Mt
ohce lowered, but they had scarcely touched
the water when the school parted, one part
running north and the other: south. Cap
tain Blanks boat followed one band, while
Jim Watson, the mate. followed the other.
The Captains boat had crew OF mag
nificent oarsmen. They laid to their work
with will, and after. an hours pull came
within range of the bull. Captain Blank
got an iron into him in short order, the fish
sounded and went down at speed which
almost equalled that OF the "lightning ex-
press" train. The line ran out with q
deafening hum; the logger-head smoked,
and the boat laid her bows deep into the
water. Suddenly the strain ceased, the
whale was coming up, and every eye conned
llC SedS iOl VI IuC AohstSAs AAS
came up like rocket, struck the boat on
the keel amidshipS with his nose. and hurled
it thirty feet into the air. AS it descended
it capsized, and fell bottom uppermost.
The men Immediately swan for it, and
with the exception OF the Captain, reached
it, where they -squatted, holding on
to the keel, and presenting the appearance
OF 4 lot OF penguins nesting on chunk OF
kelp. The Captain swan also up, but find
ing the keel crowded, resolved not to risk
an upsetting by venturing upon it; so he
put an oar under each arm, and, treading
water, kept near the boat, cheering the
crew, who, as was natural to men in their
situation, were nervous and down-hesrted.
They tloated this way several minutes, and
were gradually getting over the first
shock when the stroke-oarsman-a gigan-
tic negro-called out, "Look dar Il
shark" Nothing so horrities a sailor
as the appearance OF that ravenous fish in
hours OF peril. The crew looked and
saw a huge bottle-nose shark floating APP
parently not more than fathom below the
surface. The Captain saw the monster also,
and felt his chance Of escape dwindle to II
cypher; nevertheless, he did not lose cour-
age, and instead Of Fastening the event
which seemed beyond prevention, resolved
to escape it il possible. He knew that Il
shark would never bite at an unsteady bait.
The nose OF the creature is in its way; it
must turn on its side to snap, and then only
when the object is stationary. 1t may be
for a second enly, but that is enough; the
shark darts like lightning, and in moment
seizcs its prey. The Captain knew this,
and knew his only salvation depended
on his keeping constantly in motion.
The least pause would be fatal, so with
the two oars under his arms he kept
afloat, moving about necessarily, bis eyes
fixed on the dark monster beneath him,
which followed wherever he moved. Such
a situation would be apt to affect the senses
terribly, vet the Captain says he was never
calmer, never less troubled, and never less
afraid of death. His mind, however, was
active; every circumstance OF his
life came before him with the clearness OF
MONDAY. The scenes OF his youth in par
ticular passed before him in vivid colorius.
He saw the old farmhouse in which he was
born-the hills, woods, and meadows sur
rounding it; the distant village, the church
spire, the fiocks on the plains, the winding
river, the cows browsing in the fields; he
heard the clatter OF the mill, the songs OF
the mowers, the birds singing in the groves,
and the gun echoing among the hills. He
heard, too, the voice OF one dearer to him
than all on earth; the voice OF one-but all
this took place while rapacious monster
was floating within a few feet Of him, wait
ing only for moments pause in his move
ments to rend him in pieces!
The second boat, having now rescued the
wrecked men, approached the Captain, who
ordered its crew to shoot by him at full
speed, and as it passed he would grasp it
and spring in, the critical moment being
when he would lose motion and the shark
would be likely to seize him. However,,
that risk must be taken. The mate faith.
fully carried out his directions. The men
strained every sinew. They were whale
men, and rs such top-gallant oarsmen, and
the speed at which they sent that boat
driving through the water would have
shamed the flight of the swiftest sea-bird.
The boat itself was scarcely seen, buried
in a double wall OF foaming spray, the
oars bending like reeds, and the gunwales
1uiycring at each stroke. 1t took steady
nerve, an eagle glance, and a lightning grasp
to secure the flying craft; but the Captain
had these, and, as it passed, seized the star
board gunwale, and was thrown like shot
into the boat. At the same Instant the
sharks head rose above the water, and It's
laws snapped with sound audible for a
distance. The Captain, as he
himself remarked, escaped "only Dy q
scratch"; the moment be was stationary
the shark snapped at him, the velocity OF his
subsequent motion only saving him from
hideous death. '@
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