Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-11-15
A BATTLE OF THE DEEP.
Seeing An Encounter Between
IL Whale and His Enemies Off
the Coast OF Newfoundland.

A letter FROM st. Johns, n. B says:
On lovely afternoon in July | stood
upon the bank of lofty cliff on that
part OF the coast between Placentia and
st. Mary's bays. Everything was still.
Only the iaintest murmur, the angry
tones Of the ocean roar upon the surf,
melted into delicious music, stole up
from the strand TO where | stood. The
sea fowl, which inhabit small island in
myriads to my left, seemed, too, to have
fallen under the spell, and gone to
sleep. The ocean heaved its breast in
feeble pillows, rolling landward with q
drowsy motion, and the fisherman IN
his small boat rested upon his oars to
listen to the stiffness and calm which
had fallen over everything. A dozen or
more fishing-skitis and boats, a little
less than schooner size, stood mOtlonless
where the last breeze had tainted on
their sails, and swere photographed to
perfection in the smooth, liquid deep;
aud even the "unerring tides" forgot Tor
the moment, or seemed to forget, to set
either north or south. As | stood like
everything about me, mute under the
influence OF the afternoon, sound as oil
innumerable and gentle tappings came
up from the still sea, and, looking, saw
that myriads OF fishes, cod and the lesser
creatures Oh which the former prey ed,
mad risen to the surface and were
"breaching." The tapping sound was
make by beating the waters with their
tails and fins. Such scene is not I'M
common; but almost simultaneously
with this / heard hollow, whistllng
sound, and saw a column OF spray rise
like geyser, about fourteen feet from
water. / saw then that whale had
risen among the fishes, and with his
monster, gaping jaws, in a fourth OF the
time it takes to write it, had eugulied
several hundreds OF the preaching ti>hes,
and was about to plunge under the
waves again to swallow his prey piece.
meal, when TWO other creatures appear
ed upon the scene. They were tie
united and implacable foes OF the whalf,
the sword. fish, and thresher. The
sword-hsh, xiphias glad!us, is long,
1.-the creature, armed with u long, hard
substance, protruding from its snout,
resembling sword, from which it de-
rives its name; the threshef is species
OF sea-shark or fox.s shark, scientifically
known az carcharias wipes. 1t WAS
evident they had come for the double
purpose OF making war upon the whale
and getting some Of the feast for them
selves. In the space it takes the eye
to twinkle the offensive and defensive
were assumed. The sword-tish at onCe
attacked the whale under water, the
thresher attacked him above. AS the
whale made on effort to dive he II p Ill d
himself against the armed head ot his
1.-THE foe, and if he remained where he
was the thresher brought its upgalnIy
BODY with the precision OF machinery
down upon the fortunate monsters back.
Such "threshing" | had never con-
ceived OF even in my dreams, when l
used to 90 10 the hills and ruh birds
nests, and saw the teacher, more terrible
than wrathful dragon, with Cowhlde
to expiate my guilt. The sounds were
dull thuds when the thresher struck his
antagonist, and sharper and louder when
he missed his aim and struck the water.
The waves were beaten about III loan
and spray, the whale trying to ply his
tail upon his enemies, but before he
could get his ungainly body into posi-
ton his enemies were out OF harms way,
and making a new attack upon an uneX-
pected quarter. The contest continued,
broken only by short intervals, when
the whale went below the surface Tor
about ten minutes. Then the sword
fish, as if satisfied with the part he had
PLAYED, dove down into the clear, blue
water and the thresher followed his ex-
ample. The whale, too, suddenly dis.
appeared, and as he was the only one OF
the three that had to rise and breathe
at stated intervals, watched with much
eagerness to see where he would rise
and blow" or if he rose at all. Be
yond the point, h&lf.mile distance, |
saw the spout and then a vigorous
plunge, and knew the whale had surVIv-
ed his thrashing. Numbers oil boats
had rowed up to gee the ARRAY, and gaz
ed at the contest between these monsters
OF the unknown deep with a pleasure
deeply mingled with awe.