The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-10-31
TAKING A SWORDFlSH.
Terrible stru,Rle with an Albright Barre
At.nched to q Harpoon.


At.ached to a Harpoon.
r. was some time before We could dis
tinquish the speck, rising and falling
with the sea, which had attracted the old
whalemau's attention. Soon he pro-
nomnced it a fish," end after putting
us on the other tack to run down partly
10 leeward of it, went below to bring up
the irons. When we had worked perhaps
a mile before it, we laytofor our final In
structions, the skipper took the wheel
to "keep her head on if yer can" and
the one who held the alright barrel
was told "When y're sure I've struck
him, over with it."
He was as cool as q cucumber, as ne
took the harpoon and cutting spade for
ward, coiling the line Zone end of which
was fast to the harpoon, the other to the
barely carefully on deck, with the call,
ton : "Ware when it flakes out, and
taking only enough with him to bis roost
on the bowsprit end to give him ample
elbow room. His station reached, ne
fixed the shade in the support ready to
receive it, laid the iron in front OF him
across the cage, waved his hand, and we
filed away, close hauled. Never was a
mile more slowly sailed by the little
group in the pit of the White Cloud.
Never had our hearts beaten foster
than as we neared the fifteen feet fish,
rolling, asleep, in the trough OF the sea.
Now the pilot is almost over HIM SLOW
" he raises the iron, braces himself,
and hurles it with all the strength OF
sinewy arms. The iron sinks deeply
into the sleeping fish !; there is q mighty
surge, the line flakes overheard as quick
" as thought, the float splashes as 1T
disappears beneath the water, then ali
is still. We huff and wait. Presently
up bobs the float. Tho fish fnuilg the
strain of the air-tight barrel too severe
is coming to the surface. Now the water
bubbles and boils just under our lee,
and the swordfsh breaches himself
~savagely, and swims at lightning speed
for the barrel. He strikes it again aud
again with his sword, but it rests so
lightly on top of the water that he a n
not iniure it. Then he stops, looks at
us an instant, and darts toward the boat:
We have not time to bring her head
around, and if he strikes it will be amid
ships. The pilot comes quickly, aft,
bringing his long-handled, three
cornered spade, and, as the fish comes
within striking distance, aims n swift,
unerring blow full at his forehead. The
terrible sword drops harmless, the up
per muscles at it's base are severed, and
he passes under us, Earring the boat
and splashing US with water as ne
sounds.
Again the float goes under and is out
of sight q longer time than before.
Again the fish throws himself out OF
water, showing his sword down at an
angle of forty-fve degrees. He swims
once or twice around the barrel, then
starts to windward at too furious a speed
to last with the float ploughing behind
him. When we beat up he is feebly
fighting it. He sounds for a short time,
but comes up exhausted. Once or twice
he rolls wei on his side. but RECEIVERS
himself and swims on in short tacks.
We press him too closely, and he charges
US again, but we make no effort to avoid
him, knowing that now he is powerless
to iniure US, nor does he try to strike,
apparently realizing that his weapon If
useless, but goes under, coming up the
other side.
And 80 he sounds and swims, fights
and runs, until at last he succumbs te
exhaustion and lies still. We work uI
alongside, and as we huff the pilot puts 6
lance into his very life. There is 6
shudder along his whole body, his flint
work convulsively a moEent, and Their
he lies motionless and dead. We rig E
tackle to our mainmast, and after con
siderable labor get him aboard, where
we can examine at our leisure his pecul
lar shape, and admire his graceful
"clipper build" Our N%antucketer est
mates his weight at between 500 and 600
pounds. His sword is over three, feet
in length, it's broken point and mckee
edges proving that its owner was an ole
as we'll as a fighting fish.
Our fish is on board, and after reserr'
ing a few choice cuts, turned over to oul
pilot, who asks that we run into Martha
Vineyard the he may dispose %saem be-
fore he soils. And 80 we set gaf and
iihztpsaiIs, haul off before the wind,
and lay our course northward.-Forest
and Stream.