The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1880-06-10

The captain ascends the mlZZen rigging
and takes an observation.
"IIave all ready to hoist and sWing"'
Each boat carries an officer, boatsteer-
er and four hands. With the aid of their
crews, the boatsteerers lift the line tubs
into the boats. The tubs are kept on
deck. Each boat carries two-a large
and il small one. The large one contains
100 fathoms of inch MANILA, the smaller
50 tathoms. The tubs are placed on the
boats bottom between the stroke, tub
and amidship thwarts, and the two ends
of line made fast, giving a total length Of
l44o feet, coiled ''nemish' with incest
care SO that it will run like a ball of new
tWine. Taking the end the boatsteercr
passes il around the logger head and car
reS it to the BOWS where he coils down
several tathoms on the covered space;
passing the ends through the 'chocks,
or Jaws OF the bow, where it is held in
place by a slender wooden pin which will
break and free il should any upward
strain come upon it; he carries it outside
and aft and makes it fast to the pole
strap OF one OF his two irons which are
placed in conN enient position for instant
use. With ''Sh0rt warp" a piece of
line two or three tathoms long he takes a
running bOWlinc, or "n0OSc,' if YOU like,
around the m'in line fast to the first iron,
and the other end he makes fast to the
strap Of the second iron These details
must be arranged with swift and watch
tu care, for a deviation of an inch may
''Ioul line" and then over and down may
g the boat and the lives and limbs OF Six
men would not he worth 100 per cent
premium on an accident insurance policy.
Let it be understood that the line in each
tub is coiled SO that its bottom and top
ends are available, and the top end in one
tub is made fast to the bottom end Of the
other, and its top end carried forward as
described
''lIoist and swing" The crews hoist on
the dayit tackles and lift the boats from
the cranes which are swung in and hook
ed alongside. Then the officer steps in
and takes his position at the stern tackle,
and the boatsteeler at the bow.
Lower away - Down 60 the boats,
the crew follow down ana take their
places on the thWmts the tackles are I'M
hooked, We push on and the oars arc ship
ped in the roWiocks, the line passing orct
the oars. \ Ship kcepec Witha few hands
takes charge Of the ship in theabSence Of
the captain and officers.
up sail" The oars are peaked. the
sail is spread and we are rushing over the
blue blloWs before the wind All, this
Is boat sailing.
Right ahead, coming tomcct us, all un-
conscious OF foe are our mighty game.
We see their huge black heads gl>tcning
IN the sun. Now we hear their hoarse
blows coming louder and nearer ia dread
sound. In three minutes We shah be
amongst them
cant they see your approach :"
"oh, no; their eyes are on the sides ot
their heads and are OF little use; they
cannot see ahead or behind without turn
my the Whole body. They depend upon
instinct and hearing more than upon
SlGllt
We are among the monsters. Eyrry
hand is clrnched and every heart thunps.
We shoot alongside one, almost touching
him as hc bellows out His hloW and show
vrs us with his spray.
"Ciiyt ii to him ."
Thud Thud'
The ncryI boat sfccrcr has hurled BOTH
mons in qrIick succession to their poles
into the black mass which settles With 4
groan. ani we are past his flukcs and out
Of immediate danger.
I'D uWn sail :"
Tooo HE mi cbf, tIullos ,faiI, IN tha
Mir i,,.t ,.t.rm .In.l vifL !, cu,,''l.,,u
thrash IN c,,,id. nf snr,, thr,- di..,,,,a,,,
And M Inn, Same insr,nt n. h n,..i,, ~
diyidI..,I ~ tho ,-,st rr,ul b,i I,a,,
pjercrd 4orh rounds Nh thr1sbrs I'LL
tinkps and rops down in y f,,min., c,i.
drun Ifa nnrsur strrls In huhind 4, .,nd
n,irl,s MS l,ith ., min W. tt,rr an rln in
lt.ut. NAN bn nII,,,.,4i g, ,i,.r.r.,. intn -.
# wonld b3vn hcrn = shn,.L nndnr r.bich
~, shnnlI have stan,rnrnd INA tn,.n.I
sln,vIv U,1 nnr Iu,t ..nn,... t,,i.,.I ILL.,.
aim in An nrnhahiIity vn yhn,,I,I harn
been stove ON thr insr.in,
onr lima i rnnninr nnt ,t !, f,,inr.
rate. The officer throws , tnln nvrr thn
loorer head ana ninnrr. hnrh MINK ~
gcther to give all possible assistance To
the whales descent, bowsin3 the boats
bows almost under. The logLcrhcad /
smokes under the friction. The tub oars
man balls water upon the line The /.
boatsteercr stands hatchet in hand, to
cut lines at an insIant'S warming of fuul. /
The whale must sound as deep as he |
will, we can only do our little best to dis /
courage him by holding the line as much I
aS the boat Will bear without being drag /
gcd under. The bic tub is empty. He
may take 1t all and escape. | have known
d line to whr above tie tubs in an ap-
parently tangled maze and be gone to
the last flake before one could say '-Jack |
Robinson '-metaphorically speaking.
But now our line runs Slowly and stops. |
Our whale is not as sensible as he might !
be- He has come to the mistaken con
ciusion that he cannot escape from his .
trouble in a downward direction, ana he
will try another. \ few moments quiet.
and he breaks water and blows several |
hundred yards distant, and starts on a
run to Observation-Disclosures to windward.
Around spins the boat and away we 90.