Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-08-12
A WHaLER's YARN.
TEE ocEaE RAPIDLY FILLING WIFE THE
SEA MONSTERS.
Past. Present and Future OF the Whaling
Busiusss-rhe story of
Veteran.
fBesson Eerad.l

history aud t1e current events OF the day,
who have lived all their lives in blissful
ignorance of the supreme monarch of the
ocean. While nearly every man, woman
and child in the land can discourse more
or less inteiligen.ly on the kings OF the
forest, vet there is hardly one In a thou
sand who has even limited general idea of
the whaling trade. just the man to gather
Soma interesting points on the subject from
is the veteran Captain John H. Hoe, of
squatic Jumbo fame, who condescended to
grant Herald sttsche an interview. After
the customary salutations, the reporter
solicited the Captain to tell him somethin z
about the
MYSTsRIEs OF THE WHALE
Species and the perils attending their
capture. The jolly tar intimated at the
start that he had spent the greater part of his
life in the pursuit of whales, having shipped
when 3 mere lad, and followed the sea al
most without interruption up to within 8
very few months. Il never read any,
thing about whales," he explained with a
blush, $50 what say 10 you will be pretty
well mixed ap with sea phrases" he was
assured that the simpler the language the
better, and, with this confidential enccur.
sgsment, he began 81 have sailed some.
what in the Southern sess, he said, "but
mostly in tbs North Atlantic and Arctic
waters, The good ship to which l had be-
longed was built IN and hailed from Bos-
ton. She was of 2l0 tons burden, new
measurement, ssaooner-rigged, well built,
perfectly Cited az a whaler, being also
strengthened by every means which science
coGld devise TO enable her 10 Withstand the
hard weather and TO resist the pressure of
the ice TO which such vessels are necessarily
exposed in their progress through the
Arctic seas" Upon being asked il they
ever killed whales from the ship, Captain
Hoe answered lob, no; we 90 out in
the whale boats after them. Every ship
has three boats of this kind, and they are
the most important attachments to the
vessel
THE WHALKBoArs
OF every ration have popularity, but
they are generally from twenty four to
twenty-eight feet long and about FIVE feet
six inches in vidtb, and draw about twelve
iDcSes of water, sharp at both ends, with
the sheer running high, to prevent her
from going under while being lowed by
the whale. The keel IS convexed In the
center, to enable it TO steer more readily,
and for the same reason it is steered with
an oar instead of a rudder. Forward is q
copper choak for the whale line to run
through over the bows, aud in the stern
sheet Is the loggerhead to check the line
as the whale takes it out, and to keep the
boat steady and from going under while
the whale draws it az lightning speed
through the water. Il is supplied with
row-locks, oars, bost-hook, lances, har-
poons, two tubs of two. and a-half-inch
line of about 100 fathcms each, lantern,
box for harpoon guns, bomb lsnces, pow
der, wads and caps, compass, flag, buoy,
ak, cell OF warp, plenty of fresh water and
grub, and SUIT Of oil clothing for each
man, ak in number. A harpoon ia an iron
rod two feet long, without the pole, which
Is five 10 six feet socket on one end for the
hand pole, barb at the other end four
inches long. and one inch thick, tapsring
TO a sharp edge, aud working on hinge
In the middle OF the barb, held back with
a wood pin which breaks when the harpoon
is thrown. After the harpoon is thrown
into the whale the pole drops oIis and goes
adfift. There are several patterns OF
uARPooN GUNS.
Some work on swivel over the bows of
the boat, and some discharge from the
shoulder, the same as an ordinary fowling-
piece. We have experimental with sever
al kinds, but the breech-loading shoulder
gun IS the best by all odds. Suppose we
fi5 for the Arctic for right whaling. We
would start about March OF April, and with
fair winds aud good weather we can fetch
IL IN from four Co Six weeks We store
with two years provisions, one years
water and suit of extra sails, ballast,
with food and water, and sometimes earth.
When we reach the whaling grounds the
lookout is posted aloft in the crow's-nsst at
the masthead, and as soon as a whale is
sighted ne sings ont those magic words,
Blow, there abe blowsP The Captain
gives the order, Lower away the first
boat, and the crew pulls away Immediate
IL N chase of the whale, which may be
from one to six miles of. Then the second
boat puts of, and, if the chase is likely to
be hard one, the third boat will put out,
ard the ship is almost deserted. The har-
pooner takes his position forward, and
pulls the first oar until they get well on
the whale, then he stands up and takes
charge of the boat, the Captain asteru,
steering with an oar. The narpooner giyes
orders 60 lay him on or off, as the case may
suit him, with the hsrpoon in his right
hand and coil of line in his left, ready to
throw at the first good chance. The chase
becomes exciting, aud the harpooner wishes
TO rally his crew bysgiviug orders, such as
Bend too, my lsdsi Now, then, long
pull, strong pull, we will soon be on TO
her. Lively, now, lively buckle to it,
men keep her gong steady, pull, boys,
pull we viii soon be On to her. Keep
quies now.
wHAcKl BANG!
In went bomb lance, Immediately fol-
lowed by a harpoon, and astern we went.
Are yen fastP sas the mate. No, sir,
says the hsrpooner, have missed her.
Jast thea she arose right under us, and
over We went into the water, the boat
betsomside up. TIE harpooner missed
his calculation with his hsrpoon, the whale
CALLED and was off. The second boat was
near by aud came to our rescue, and
picked us up We were about three miles
of from the ice, and the whale was making
for it. The Captain concluded it was not
best to continue the chase. 50 we righted
our boas, picked up our things that were
drifting and signsled for the ship to bear
down for US, rs the chase was mp. We
went aboard, tired and wet, from long
pull, scare and a good ducking. After
shifting our wet clothes for dry ones, the
captain called all hands aft and served out
aration of whisky. Then we went below
and turned in for the night. We kept a
sharp lookout posted, and cruised around
for several days, when the man from the
mast. head sang ont sgain: Blow, there she
blows. This bronshs sae Cspssin on deck.
'Where away? Two points to theieewsrd,
sir The Captain went below and got his
glass; came on deck, and, after few
moments, sighted the whale, and sang
out: Blow,
THERE SHE sPoUTs
Lower away the starboard boat which
was dropped, and Immediately away. Their
the port boat was lowered, and got sight o.
the whale just as she was going down
Having got her course, it bore off well &c
the windwara of Ter, so that when she