Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-12-09

SNh' uo"h' unlsSs circumstances, SUCH rs
weather, moonlight, and so on, are favor
| able.
ID most cases the course of the whales
ana the speed CT their travel are carefully
| noted, When ION s course" school of
sperm whales will move at the rate OF
about SIX miles an hour when feeding"
they keep on the same ground, not NOV.
ing more than few miles day. When
seen late In the evening, the ship is steered
during the night according to the obser.
va,ions, ana often finds the school in sight
IN the morning, when the boats are at once
sent down.
This course was not followed on the
evening In question. 1t was not y school
we saw, but "lone whalen and one of
extraordinary SIZE The night promised
to DC rough one, and the whales mo.
tons were strangely irregular, as If he
| MAD lost himself IN an unknown sea
There is something solemn aud mvste-
rlous IN the sight OF clone whsles," and
marvellous supersiitions are current among
Whalemen respecting them
Though spending year after year on the
crest waters, whalers become more i'm.
presslonable to supernatural things than
other men, and long observations of the
shoals or schools of the vast creatures
they pursue tends - fill them with ama.u-
ment and awe when they meet with soil,
tary levlathan who has abandoned all fell
iowship with his kind, who lives by his
own law--lonely, mighty and terrible.
Soon after the cry from alott, we saw
the whale from the deck, only short dis
lance from the ship, and we might have
seen him long before, had not his white,
bush-like spout been lost in the angry
whiteness that was fast spreading over
the sea.
For moment all eyes were fastened on
the long body, like great black tube,
| over which the waves washed.
Every face WAS wonder.striCken at the
immense size of the whale.
Capt. Clifford had been examining him
through glass, which he handed In turn
to each of his officers.
what do you say, Mr. Husseys " he in
CURED OF the first mate, who glanced at
the sun and answered:
$50 down, sir; we can do III"
MT Joseph :" and the Captain turned
to the second mate, an old Portuguese of
extraordinary size, and perhaps the most
famous whsleman alive.
$50 down, sir, if we want to get the
fellow; We'll never see him agan."
The two other officers were younger
men, and OF the same mind. There WAS
no time lost in further consultation.
Swing the boatsl" shouted the cold
man"
The lines and irons had already been
thrown in by the crews. A "heave, oh ~
and straining sound, and in one minute
the four boats struck the water, and the
men were settled on the thwarts with the
long oars out.
the sun was low and large and red, and
the whole western sea and sky were mag.
nlfcent and gold, and black. The picture
was one of the finest ever saw.
The rising Sc. was Jet black, except
where II was bloody; a broad road of
crimson shimmered from the ship to the
sun; the long body of the whale, even
blacker than the sea, was plainly seen ia
the ruddy glare; and life WAS added to
the immense scene by the four white
specks-the notwithstanding to a
point as they drew near the motionless
monster.
1t WAS not until the boats had left the
ship that we fully realized how threaten.
ing was the weather. Every moment the
seas came wilder ana heavier against the
vessel. Only now ard again, rs they were
lifted on sea, could we catch sight of
the brave little boat. The breeze grew
stronger al every moment and, before
the first boat neared the whale, was
whistling through the rigging in the wild
way that tells OF coming gale. The
Captain regretted the lowering of the
boats, and soon signaled them 10 return
But the men were excited, and refused TO
see the signal. Filled to the gunwale,
the seas lashing over them every moment,
on they went where only thing 80 nearly
perfect as whalebost could keep sfloat.
As the first boat swung round to run
down to leeward Of the whale, the red
sun stood fairly on the black field of
ocean.
Talk about the bravery OF soldiers in
battle or of men ashore in any enterprise
you please; what ia it TO the bravery of
such a deed as this? a thousand miles
from land, cooliy going down in stormy
sea to do battle with the mightiest created
animal Ii is the extreme of human cool
ness and courage, because 1t is the ex-
treme of danger. The soldier faces one
peril-the bullet. The whaeman, in suc-4
a case as this, has three mighty enemies
to ight--the sea, the gale and The whale
We saw the harpooner Of each boat
stand up IS they came within heavlnR
distance and send IN two irons. All the
boats were fast before the monster seemed
to feel the first blow Then came the
fight, the cruel and unnatural fight be.
tween vast power and keen skill. The
| block water was churned white as the
| hukes struck out in rage and agony The
sun disappeared and the gale screamed
wilder in the rigging, We could no
| longer see the boats from the ship. The
| few men on board clezed up The light
sail and took a rect in the tOpsails, and