Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-04-20

The number of men carried by each
vessel is regulated bv the number of
boats lowered. For instance. il the
number is four, the whole lumber on
board will consist of the captain, first,
second and third mates, four boat-steer-
ers (harpooners), sixteen men, before the
mast, shipkeeper, carpente11 steward,
cook and cabin boy. The number is
sometimes augmented by the addition of
spare hands, cooper and blacksmith.
The outfit for men before the mast, when
cruising in the Atlantic ocean, consists of
one sea chest, two pairs of blue-drilling
pants, two pairs of drawers, two coarse
gray aannel SHIRTS, one pair OF shoes, a
cap Tor hat), razor, comb, soap, towel,
needles, thread, buttons, cloth for
patches, tin pan, quart pot, knife, fork
and spoon. The bedding is a cheap
material, blanket and quilt. Each man
is also furnished with a sheath knife
and belt. Sperm whales are
liable to be found anywhere from Cape
Cod TO the coast Of Africa. They APP
pear to have regular feeding grounds,
which change from time to time. None
but sperm whales have regular teeth,
and these only il the lower jaw. The
whaIebone so much in use comes from
the fright" whale, which is seldom
found except in the Pacific or arctic
oceans "Humpback" whales may De
seen occasionally III any latitude, bllt
they receive no attention unless seen in
some bay, where they journey once a
year TO give birth to their young. and
where they are captured. They differ
from other species, having two fins from
ten to fifteen feet in length, which are
used for propelling purposes. These
enable them to move through the water
more rapidly than others, and it is on
this account that they are not "struck -
off soundings, where the loss of line
would be almost a certainty.
Whales of all kinds suckle their Young,
and watch over them with more parental
kindness than is exhibited by some hui
man beings Sperm whales usually
travel in schools, and in going into q
body composed of "cows and calf, )" the
latter are stru"k first. By this meth
cd two whales may be safely reckoned
upon. The mother will not leave her
offspring, neither will it attack the boat:
but will remain close to the calf, appar-
emily urging it to escape by sounding OF
by flight. The little one can only re-
main short time under water, conse-
quently the mother is almost a constant
target for lances, which she will con-
tinue to receive, although not being fast
to the boat, until life is extinct. She
will sacrifice her life In the attempt to
assist her young. The calf exhibits nc
such fliaI affection, for, if it happens
I,a%
Immediately start for less troublesome
waters, leaving the old lady to fight
her own battle. There is a remarkable
peculiarly concerning the movements
OF large school sufficient to warrant a
belief III their having some way of com
munication that is only equalled by the
telegraph or telephone. The larger
specimens are usually on the outside OF
the circle, and sometimes a full half mi G
from the main body. But let one vi
these sentinels be aarpooned, and the
whole school seems 10 know Of the cir
cumstances almost instantaneously and
will either disappear, vanishing as sud
denly as II by some pre-arranged plan,
OF by running 10 windward. Sharks
abound III great numbers wherever
whales are caught, and excite more fear
among green hands in particular
than the possibility of being wrecked or
drowned. 1t is the common remark of
old whalers that shark will never at
tack man In motion unless the fish is
hungry, but then, proyerbially they are
always in that condition.
The writer remembers for IN instance
where the boats were lowered, and two of
them succeeded IL Fastening" each TO
a large whale. Contrary to the usual
custom of school they made no attempt
to escape. All except those struck
seemed playful and mischievous rather