The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1879-05-08
"a NIGHTON A WHALE,

ended to. quickly duets and satisfaction rxsransaA
~ III .TT1T7IT---
"A NIGHT ON A WHALE ','p,5s
I The Perils OF the Sea. I.
Four boats left the ship, and extraorlinsrv ~
efforts were made by each to gain the honor
OF throwing the first successful harpoon. II
was the first day that any whales had t,et.,,
encountered, and in the excitement cf tho De-
casion one Of the beats ef vi hich an lrishrlsn
called Pat" was the harpooner or boats 8.
header, had disappeared, leaving the other.
OF their missing companions. Lights Mere
aoisted at the mastheads Of the whaler, ard
the horizon was scanned with good g,assea.
Night passed, and no trace was discovcred.
IN the morning dark spot, at too great dis
lance to be clearly distinguished, seemed 10
encourage hope that either the boat or a
dead whale would reward the trouble of II
search, and possibly recover the. trail Of tbs
lost. On nearing tho object, It was discover.
% to be Pat, the harpOoner, kneeling on a
dead sperm whale, his left hand twisted
tightly In the line of the harpoon, which had
kept him to his slippery post. His eye was
mechanically, he tainted as about to step into
the boat. He had lived through . fearful
night-the chase, the encounter, tho destruc-
ton Of the boat. ~ doath Of The whal0. sa,sl
the struggles OF his companions dovoiired by
the sharks, are wildly depicted = ~ls
keep on his feet, and sought to nnd some lii.
tie relief In kneeling down for minute, or
SO long rs the approaching sharks permitted.
upon his extraordinary float, and attempting
to stretch himself at full length, even though
It might be In the water. Fruitless hope! Els
tormentors left him no rest, and the danger
nj Nn Ia \
. certain death, was too iminent to allow
him to await the attack. The most greedy of
the brutes, 4 young fish scarcely more than
eight feet in length, once went 60 far - 10
seize the harpoon, and heldit sufficiently long
to be left half dry upon the sperm by the re-
tiring wave; but the oak stick struck it such
9 afearful blow across its treachcreous, crafty.
looking eyes, that the shark glided OF the
slippery whale, turned up It white stomach,
and sank. But others took the brute's place,
and only the glistening streak in the dsrk
water revealed their approach, and warned
the unhappy man to prepare himself for the
renewed attack. s.rf..tlz.,5s F35 isgsg,
Hour after hour thus passed in this fearful
contest for life, but fresh hope was aroused in
him when the ship drew nearer to him, and
the signal-guns clearly and distinctly reached
his ear. At last he was able to secognixe the
forms on deck, as they moved backwards and
forxsrds !, il the t1ekering light: .sAhoy.he
.,-sss ~ s sr"ta., ~. - W. S..s.e!
slowly past without noticing him-"ahoy!r
Again he was compelled to defend his llic,
for the sharks, attracted by the sound Of !
human voice, came up from all sidcs, and
their dark dorsal fins cleft the surface Of tho
x,, wael ~ esely oHecsaoH: , nis u,ows ien re-
Pss.ealy, snu Ine eng VI .nea !ousn sna,' was
sa,'as .eauy epnniereo-m xnlcn Wpuld nsvT
upon the shark than to make 1t retire for /.
a1a. nue wne. ;.l ana Inc snlp. lneTe ar'l.ea
IN mos. oss w,.d and hs h ARn as,gnsi iesansa
.,n,,e na0 oat, - "nu ~ :sa.a ulo enso
~ - ts n .
~. ...o epv. gay ~. n..vt :, Lny.so
ceme f-nn; th"t nna, H.. @ .o,,,i aa
distinsn}.h the di3fsrent xnices Ole ' on dec dect ha
vss nnah,e ~ ther, ,e.r hu, VI uIIn Nc
80 -. o,.a,;". W. o.s...a ~ '.
tra eld AZ .snaa;n.,s anI the;r a1taaIa aI Ay,o ~
sinoo.t ;,,oa.ssnt M - "V''>-0 S 'l
"'IGe. liz stn.,a tnSesssn' .s ,,-,.. u,:.. ~,
.;,, n.s e.,onksn, nls eoou w splats-nniSn ii'a
VI nIw geen hep. W ~ tne aCpv sIGs ..
~nen ne eaW Cno ,.a anip u'.s P,sl Pas.-ssnA
w Mnen no means @ we're ie'o niM ~. " anncancs
lis pIo1lly' anc love y, lne Ai0ne kePt
nlm uprignt, anu uIseu MN " oeisna
ae1an AN tne sasaee oruses ult'i ms ase DIeatn.
cIose . nsneu aa sloMl5usGy siosRIW 70 t.u tne
Ess1' ane oay " lengtn nroke ~ ~ Ine ~, lar-nls
tant I,a,t eess. ne saw al; nc saw tne sun
Is!nE l1oln ss Vse.n peu, s} Ine cun. On
s.Mr ouL .. nis vessei, lne Krscslul mae. sna tna
toenying SANS; as.e,nplsa .e make = IL. a..
senpI 70 anngunee .is eAae.ause; ann .ii.s 10
pun p, on n.e EMIT suu Ma,e ~, ~ .n9 ut. -
..thaaa. ~ NV ~ by ssen " nJ h, - an =
,,e eau. st;M aut nc ~is aos so, o 70 % u% H.
-at,sad r. .as,,oa anI ~. ,Is ,,is We r
Ss,o iSueou ls sea VIE. aHu he soL oy 41:yy plv
Su suce noaIsg, a Hu,gnns ~. souma o n a1s syss
Ousnea, ana ss nis hsa0 wen. rouiH H ana Ioono,
...l, anu LEV; wnu nea, Ihe ssp
% upon .ne u,ouuly M.nk sca, s.IuGA th,l. nm
ana seemed toisxpel Az. eise--eselK tnou8hb
o. ol nelp OF saivauon. every nope. He De9sn
70 lOok OUT among the snaIks lhat lnceesant-
swan Iouno MN LOT one on Wn'ch &c
snouiu .NnMa hurl himself, Dy means 9I ine shaIp
knne nG wore. Asain al1 again nsu tnis 0,lc
.s.acAea .s.s nun, . aug NC sltoweS nin nsstnc.
repoee nor rest, ior % even al nour ~ slmc:: @
sgan ,l9 ana again, slthougn - lecelsso ~ nelee
anu artssn ,h ua.I, hna Nh .ns - mos.
=. u.c .,s. usnu, anu =
1e p, ~ ~ nsve I on .ai. ny
nus n.s uSeSlvsI s,d h sIu ,4nn paa
=. U h,s .and ~ .hsrEsiod
thougn they stli kept round the dead waaic