Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-10-22
NANTUCKET wHALERs.
l.ippincots Magazine.

widow on Nantucket, set sail when
twelve years old with the captain Of
whaler. One dark and rainy night,
when they were sailing on the China
seas, 1t began to blow very hard, and
all hands we're ordered aloft to short
en- sail. In the darkness and rain the
boy fell from the mast. Had he fall
en- upon the deck he would in all
probability have been killed; but he
struck the back-stay-a rope drawn
tight like the string of u violin--and
rebounded in the water. Soon the
cry came, "a man overheard " The
captain felt very sad when he learn
ed that it was Walter j.. He put
ship about and turned back and forth,
but nothing could be seen of the boy.
Before giving up the search, however,
he called the men aft and asked them
whether anything else could be done,
''for don't want to 60 back to Nan
tucket and say that if something else
had been done Walter J. could
have been saved.n No man, however,
offered o suggestion, and, although
the time had been long perhaps half
IN hour-since the lad had fallen
overheard, the captain made few
turns more and called on the men for
final decision whether anything
could be done. He finally concluded
to hold on his course, when one Of
the men sald he heard q crJ. They
listened, and soon heard call, 'Keep
her away, or you'll run over me-
Half dozen ropes were thrown out
by as many different persons, when
the boy said; snake a bow-line.
Pm too weak to hold on" A bow
line is rope with large loop firmly
tied in it. 1t was thrown out, the lad
put it over one leg, held on by his
hands. and was drawn on board. He
had fallen into the water with a suit Of
clothes, tarpaulin overalls, and shoes
on. He was drawn out as naked as
when he first appeared in the world,
having managed, in spite of the great
exertion OF swimming, to divest him
self of his clothes, in order that they
might not impede his movements.
When asked how he had been able to
endure so long, he answered that he
was on the point of giving up from
fatigue, and letting his feet so down,
preparatory to sinking, when he
thought of his mother and kept on.
He is still living in Nantucket,
Laban NJ was the Oldest son OF
Quaker parents in Nantucket. His
father had been successful in BUSH
ness, and the son, who was an excel
lent seaman, and although very
young, was already first mate, was
going on a voyage for the sake ofhis
parents. The ship went for whales
into the North Atlantic Ocean. One
day q whale was seen spouting at
some distance. The boats were i'm
mediately lowered, and as soon as
they came near enough harpoon
was thrown from the first mates
boat. which struck the animal. In
such cases the huge creatures frantic
plunge into deep water often caused
the rope to which the harpoon was
fastened to 60 out over the side Of
the boat so fast that water had 70 be
thrown upon it to prevent its taking
fire. AS the rope ran out, by some
terrible mischance the young mans
feet became entangled in it, and in an
instant he was drawn over the side
of the boat and drawn into deep wa
ter. He rose once. called out, "Take
care of the whale" and with these
self-forgetful words on his lips sank
forever from human sight. He was
to have been captain on the next voy-
age.
Job C----was 4 whaling-captain.
His wife. tired of the monotony OF
life on the island, went with him up
on one Of his long voyages and
amused herself by learning naviga
ton. Her husband was taken sick
when the vessel was still in the Pa
cifc Ocean. As neither of the mates
understood how to steer the ship,