Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-08-12
TELL TIE AGE OF THE wHALH


3 whale about middle-age, or SO or 60
years, showing signs of dotage also one
so old and feeble that he was nearly help
less, and we captured him with little
trouble, but, according to his baleen, he
was not over so years old. We can keep
the run of the whales age until about that
It up. A whale will remain under water
from thirty to forty minutes. We never
miss them longer than that as time,
either from feeding, fright or wounds.
have seen them sound and come ap as far
away as the eye could reach. Then min
utes seem hours. We were not always
sure about whale being dead. We had
one go into her furry, roll over on the sur
face, belly up, to all appearances dead.
The harpooner ordered the rew-line to be
made fast TO her. AS soon as the boat
struck the whale she seemed to wake up
suddenly. and, with her fgke, struck our
boat amidships and stove her up, knocking
US all overheard. Some were hurt badly,
but none dangerously. After the whale
splashed around for while the Captain
shot another bomb.lance, which soon put
an end to her. Whales have been captured
over $50 feet long, 60 feet in circumference,
% feet in diameter, % feet length OF jaw,
IL feet hukes from tip TO tip, aud estimated
TO weigh over 100 tons.
THE WHALES RNEKy.
Everything is an enemy to the whale,
either on land or in water-parasites, null
luses, crussacesns and whale lice. The
latter sometimes cover the whale until il
looks white, and the skin Is all eaten off
But their greatest enemies are the sword
fish, thrsshsr and killer and shark. The
Esquimaux use the blubber and flesh for
food, the sinews for thread to sew with,
the bones of the whale and the whalebone
for weapons and implements to build their
hats. Sometimes we cook our food with
the biubber. When the blubber is hot we
use it for roasting purposes. We make
doughnuts. soak crackers, roast pig in
the boiling fat Itis splendid eating up in
still, cold climate. The spermaceti is
found In the head of the sperm whale.
We cut in the case and dig it out With
buckets. 1t is white, fatty substance and
semi-transparent. A sperm whale will
yield from forty to sixty barrels cut of the
head alone. When whale is killed the
water looks like sea Of blood. The
northern whales thrash one anothsr with
their dukes. The sperm whale attacks
with it's head and flank. Whaling is very
dangerous, but not so much from the liza
bility of being killed by the whale as being
lost IN the boats. Fer instance, the boats
are away in chase of whale; heavy fog
settles down close on to the surface of the
water, so dense that we cannot see one an
other in the boat, obscuring the ship and
ali bearings from view, and we lose our
reckoning. No alarms or aignals can be
seen or heard. We go adrift; water and
provisions give ous. Some perish with
hunger and cold. Occasionally boat q
struck by blow from the flukes of q
whale, or, when 6 whale is wounded,
Der DEATH AGONY
Is so intense that the boat comirg il
contact with her then IS sure to be &C.
stroyed; and if the men fail to grasp a
piece OF the wreck, they are almost sure
TO so under unless picked up by some of
the other boats crews. Sometimes we get
fast to whale and she gives us long
ride, so far away that we cannot get
back before the nighs sets in, or fog
lowers on us, then We lose sight Of the
ship and get lost altogether. The har.
poon is always useful TO get fast to the
whale, but the bomb lance is the most
improved and destructive missile, although
strychnine and prussic acid have been
shot into them. Electricity has also been
tried. The bomb lance may be described
as brass or iron tube or cylinder, fifteen
inches long, one inch in breadth, sharp
pointed, feather tailed, charged with gun.
powder, percussion cap and fuse, dis.
charged from shoulder gun. As the gun
is discharged the cap on the bomb lance
explodes and ignites the fuse, and IL
eight seconds the bomb explodes, scatter,
ing the fragments through the interior Of
the whale. The bomb explodes as doe;
the artillery !bombshell. No line is at
tached TO this missile. We have about
200 fathoms of two and-a-haif-inch line at
tached to the socket of the harpoon, and
small line to the harpoon pole, to pre-
vent the pole from going adr;ft after be
ing thrown into the whale. The pole drop
out Of the socket of the harpoon
"ARE WHALES BECOMING scARcEf"
"On the contrary, they are more plenti
full. For several years past the trade il
oil has been very dull, owing to the larg'
supply, at cheaper price, of kerosene.
Many other lubricating oils have been sub
stituted for whale oil. As consequence,
not many vessels have been engaged in the
business, and the whales have, so to speak,
had rest, and were never more plentiful
than at the present time in the Arctic
Notwithstanding their numbers and east
of capture, / think the outlook for q return
OF the good old days OF big ships ant
plenty OF them, with a booming trade, i.
not encouraging. Whalebone, ivory anC
spesmaceti will always be in demand
Train oil, though not 80 extensively useC
as lubricant, is fast fading its way int
manufactures and other mercantile chan
nels The sperm or southern whale live
solely on liquid, sort OF jelly FISH from :
foot long to the size of the whale itself
But the right or northern whale lives OF
crustacean, an almost imperceptible ami
NAL, which forms the principal food. Th'
whalebone, although fibrous, is very heavy
and white in the young whales, but growi
darker with age. On the lower edge o
each layer is thresd-l like fringe, similar tt
herse- hair, to which the animalcule called
whale food attaches itself. have heard
great deal Of dispute about the size of &
whales throat. took the trouble to ex
anime one, and found it about two inches
IN diameter, or less than the size of a man.
fist, subject, of course, to expansion"
THE WHALING INTEREST OF THE FUTURE
Said Captain Hoe toward the conclusion
of the interview Although the wave O
prosperity which has swept over the United
States has not placed the whaling interest
on profitable foundation. yet we cherist
the hope that we may yet be benefited
The business of the past few years hai
been to certain extent changed by til,
constant retirement of vessels, of which
great number now lay at our wharves, anc
few others have been sold. OF the mum
Der to arrive the present season, many
will be retired, and the feet bids fair to b
much reduced. Right whaling is now tn,
order Of the day, and its prospects appea
better than the catching of the sperm
whales at the present prices and, ii thu
sperm whales are neglected for time
who knows but that we shsll find them
after while, as abundant as they were il
years gone by. Large fares of whale OF