Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1884-08-14
THE STOVEN BOAT.

Absorbing Incident of q Whaling VOYAGE
Marine Record
vi all the pursuits that men follow
IN order to obtain a subsistence. there
is none that will compare, in danger and
hardship, with that Of a whaleman, and
yet how little the people on the shore
know OF this. 1t is in order to let
them have some insight into this Ausi-
ness that the following narrative is writ
ten. The facts, as they occurred, were
noted in the journal or log soon after
they TRANSFERRED:
On the l4th day of December, 1887,
the good ship Croesus, of Newburg.
Captain Perkins, was cruising some
where between the latitude of 36 and
37.s and longitude of 60 east, in search
fright whale. 1t was in the forenoon
and the old ship was moving along I'M
der tho topgallant sails with a light
breeze at the rate of about forty knots
an hour. The most hardened grumbler
could not find fault with the day. At
the fore and main topgallant crosstrees
were two men on the lookout for whales.
1t was now nearly four o'clock in the
afternoon when the nan in the main
sang out:
There she blowsm
He repeated the cry regular five or
six times. All was now excitement
among the officers and men. Every
one was anxious to know il it was the
kind Of whale hat was wanted.
The mate hailed the man at tn mast
head:
"Where away is that whale? What
do you call her?"
Right whale, sir, on the lee beam,
two miles off. Look out sharply for
her."
Sing out when the ship heads for
her."
aye, ave Sir. "a
keep her away" said the captain to
the man at the helm. Boy, hand me
the spy glass"
Steady" sung out the man ct the
mast head"
STEADY it is" answered the man OF
the wheel.
The captain started to go aloft "Mr.
A." to the mate, you may square in
the after yards and call all hands"
Forward there!" shouted the mate.
Haul the mainsail up and square the
yards Bilw to an old sailor
"Sir?"
Call all hands"
AYE, aye, sir. All hands ahoy,"
shouted old Bill, in a voice like q temp
est: "stand by the boats" E.
In less than no time the deck was alive
with men.
Boat steerers, get your boat ready"
In a moment the boats were in readi-
ness, the tubs put in, and the lines bent
on the harpoons, the crew standing
by ready to follow the boat. Down
went the boats and down followed
the crew, down TO the water when the
word came from the captain to lower
away.
"There she blows" sung out the man
at the fore, mot half a mile OFF"
"Down helm!" shouted the captain.
"Mr. A., brace the mizzen topsaill
Hoist and swing the boats and lower
,wayp w
As the boats struck the water, every
man on his thwart, with his hands OF the
loom of the oar, and in less time than it
takes to write it the three boats were
cutting their way through the water in
the direction of the whale.
1t was my duty to steer the mates
boat, and she happened to be the fast
est puller, so that, although we all left
the ship together, anu for n few rods
keep nearly head and head with each
other, still we knew we'll enough that
as soon as word came from the mate to
give way" we should drop the others
in a moment. So we did not fret our
selves, but kept cool for a tight pull
when the whale should show himself on
the surface of the water again, which
he did in a moment alter.
"There she is" cried the mate, "and
not over ten rods from the boat. Now,
my dear fellows, lay back hard, ] tell
YOU! There she blows! Only give, my
bows, and she is oursl"
The boat bounded forward like a
thing Ct life.
Spring like tigersl" says the mate,
his voice sinking almost to a whisper.
/ looked to see what kind of a chance |
was to have at the same time pullinga at
my oar with all my might. We were 60
ing on TO her starboard quarter, Just
the chance / liked to fasten to a whale.
"Stand upl" shooted the mate, and
In a moment had two harpoons to the
bitches into her.
"Stern-stern ALL" sung out the
mate, as he saw the iron in the whale.
"Come here, my boy" he said to me.
We shifted ends, he TO the head, and l
TO the stern of the boat. The whale
started off like lightning.
Hold on line" said the mate, and
away we shot after her, like an arrow
from a bow. The mate by this time
had his lance ready.
"Haul me on that whale, "he shouted,
and all hands turned TO hauling line
while | coiled it away to the stern
sheets.
We had got nearly mp to the whale
when she went to sounding" taking
the line right up and down from the
head of the boat. / mad two turns 81
the line around the logger-head, and
was holding on as the boat world bear,
when, all at once, another larger whale,
that we knew nothing about, shot up
out of the water nearly her whole
length, in a slunting position, hanging
directly over the boat. 1 threw off the
turns from the loggerhead and shouted
TO the men to stern But it was Of no
use: she fell the whole OF her BODY on
the boat. / heard a crash, and as went
down / felt a pressure of water over my
head. caused as / then thought, by the
whales fukes as she struck. How long
7 was under water i know not, but i
remember that all looked dark above
me and / tried very hard to shove my
head through, in order to breathe. AT
last / succeeded, but what a sight was
that on which / gazed when found
myself on the surface OF the water
About a rode from me was the whale