Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-09-27
1 WHALES BATTLE For LIFE.
Shaking Boat In It's Mouth as n Ter.
rier Would n Nat.
rauama slar and llewll

Panama star and Herald
| beg t. report our arrival III this
port not quite six months out from
Valparaiso, with $50 barrels ii oil On
May ", III latitude deg, Is sec. south.
longitude Ill deg, 10 sec. west. we low
cred our boats Tor whales. MIR. Mar
TIN, our first mate, soon fastened 10
large one, which stove his boat slight
~. hUt this ono was soon Killed and
brought alongside. LII the meantime
the second mate, Mr.. Hancock, mad
chased tho whales u lorg way OH to leo
ward, had fastened to an cightv.harrcl
fellow, aud get slightly stovem doing SO.
The whale acted very ugly. AT tho
least noise from Tho boat he would
rush toward II, laShing the SEA with his
dukes and ohligiug MIR, Hancock 10
keep AT II respectable distance, he being
alone nj the time, and his boat stove
and leaking BADLY, Every timo Mr..
Hancock would try to vet near the
whale the monster would rush toward
the boat Sometimes hD would raise
his head out Of the water and apucar "a
hC listening tor the least noise, turning
slowly round and then all nj once down
would 40 his head and up his tail, and
the sea- would he dashed into foam In
4 short time the thrd mate arrived ON
the scene ot action, aud WAS ordered by
the second mate not Is msten IA the
whale, put 10 play "looSC h0at,' that il,
not hcng encountered with lnO fast
to the whale, he could moro eastly row
IN ur away from him, and could watch
for n favorable opportunity To shoot
the monster with bomb hncc. In
the meantime the Ship was running
down toward them, AMI tho
mate at the masthead rc-
ported a boat stove, as Mr.. Hancock
had set the signal which Indicated that
fact. Captain Kelly then sent Mr.
Martin III the fourth mates boat to us.
slst III killing the whale. On his arrival
nt the scene he went boldly i'll and
fastened, when suddenly his boat was
badly steve aud capsilod. Mr., Hancock
picked ny the crew and the first matc
went into the lhird mates boat and
again attacked the whale. No Soon
or did the monster hear the sound of
the approaching oars than he mndc for
the boat iH u great speed, and before
they could set out Of the way, struck
them staving in the boat and capszing
1t. Fortunately the whale WIS quiet for
n few moments, enabling Mr. Hancock
TO pick M the men, but none too soon,
for Just rs they had stcrned oil il short
distance, the whale again attacked tho
steven hont, selling il III his mouth
again and again and shaking il ~ dor
would 4 mt; then up would 10 his tail
and fragments of the boat, oars, etc,
would fly high i'll the mir.
Mr.. Hancock went to the ship and
soon returned with another bnat. An
tliS time tic Whulo WAS rushing first
here and then there; III one momcnt Oh
his head and II another on his tail.
The only thing to do was 70 lat on and
shoot bomh3 M him, but it WINS a dill
cult job 20 get near enough 70 him Tor
the bombs 10 be ollectuul, his body most
Of the time being perpendicular. Tho
first mate Nas Fortunate enough 10
shoot Il bomb into HE right spot. which
soon killed tho Whale
The writer OF these lines Inns followed
whaling since 1919, and has never seen
but one whale fight SO detcmmcdly as
this one, who no doubt would have Mt
tackled and stove the ship had il been
near enough HE Ann Alexander and
Essex were both stove and sunk Nv
sperm whales.