Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-10-03

A z0vesen. = ss~z .111s tie
vhAlss. Assk fcrzs assHPps.r AID p--s
sntsy e1<rEe sgais th<y move sio.ly
Q, 6ut, tbez iscrsnsing the1r spsed.
rash n fosEsng crowd towAr3s the
ssore- We follow 81 car zsEao-, speed,
and sooa the nse p.nse, fe-lIng
perhaps. by instsDcs, thai they are get
tinE INTO shaHl water they turn, seen
30 deliberate, and select the veakes;
spot for . charge our speed 10 SLACK
eaed, saa ell prepare for the struggle
Alter Q nomeaf's pause, headed by
the largest OF the herd, they rusa
at ny boat. which happened TO be
in the center Of the line. Ga they
come, RAISING . vail OF foam. behind
which are dimly seen arched backs and
Agitated fms ; ne shout, fire our guns.
throw stoues, and dash the oars in the
water. They hesitate Q few plunge
under the boat feel their backs scrape
against the keel, a We are thrown over
and half filed with water ; the next is
received With Q blow OF an AZ from Q
gigantic fisherman terrified and spout
ing blood, the whale ruskes back into
the herd, and heads for the shore in his
blind agony.
We redouble our exertions, and the
fish finally yielding, follow their wound
ed companion. and fling themselves on
the shore, where they lie wallowing in
the shallow water. With cry of tri-
umph, borne back from the women who
stood on the cliff, dancing and waving
their arms in delight at the prospect of
an abundant winter supply Of food, all
the boats rowed for the shore, each
striving to be first to commence the
fight. With final cheer. the men
drove the boats in among the fish, leaped
out, and began to strike right and left.
gave up the lance, and attacked the
nearest with my long hunting-knife !;
laying hold of the monsters fin, in spite
of its struggles I plunged the knife re-
peatedly into its heart. Its exertions
and plunges were incessant, frequently
lifting me off my feet, and throwing
me under water. managed to hold
on, and kept striking till, with final
effort, it turned on its back. The same
encounter was going on all about me
with wild cries and noises the men
struck and hewed at the whales as if in.
furiated. regardless of bruises and the
waves which swept over them every mo.
ment. While recovering my breath,
and looking out for another foe. re-
ceived tremendous blow from the tail
of one behind me was stunned for a
moment, and on recovering, found I
had been placed in one of the boats.
Quite satisfied with my exertions, I
sat in the boat and watched the strange
combat, already closing, as the poor,
stupid fish. ignorant of their strength,
fell easy victims to their determined
enemies. The sight was strange and
striking the cloudless sun was shining
on the waves of the bay, blue, except
over large patch, many yards in ex-
tent, dyed red with blood. Each wave
showed streak of crimson as it washed
over the glistening bodies. rejoicing
that it could insult the strange forms
that had lately swan lords of the deep.
Behind q narrow beach rose the steep
cliff, down which were running the
women and children, their shrill cries
rising above the shouts of the men and
the roar of the waves. Gradually the
tumult ceased, except where whale in
the last throes wrapped himself in q
cloud of bloody spray, and delugod the
men who stood watching for another
blow.
When all were killed, the men
dragged the boats on shore and stretched
themselves on the sand to laugh and re-
count their exploits some were severe
~ bruised by blows from the fms OF the
fish. but all was forgotten as they talked
of the value of the oil and the prospect
of q comfortable winter. Ropes were
brought, and the work of securing the
capture commenced each fish had to
be dragged above high-tide mark,
work of no little labor, as many of the
fish required the united efforts of thirty
men before they could be moved.
With song and shouts they tugged
and pulled, and gradually all were
placed so that the waves could not reach
them. Women and children lent their
aid, and shouts Of laughter were heard
on all sides as some rope slipped or
broke and sent the long line sprawling
on their backs. At last we could
rest and count the dead we found that
one hundred and ten fish represented
good days works.. James Magazine.