The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-08-15
H STOVEN BOAT.

m@AhhO AOSoh0
OF all the pursuits that men follow
in order to obtain a subsistence, there
is one that will compare, in danger and
hardship, with that Of q ~whaleman, and
yet how little the people on the shore
know ef this. Tt is in order to let
them have some insight into this bust
ness that the following narrative is writ
ten. The facts, as they occurred, were
noted in the journal or log soon after
they transpired:
On the 14th day of December, 1887,
the good ship Croesus, of.Newburg,
Captain Perkins, was cruising some
where between the latitude Of 36 and
37.8 and longitude of 60 east, in search
Of right whale. 1t was in the forenoon
and the old ship was moving along un-
der the 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 man In the main
sang out:
There she blowsl"
He repeated the cry regular FIVE or
six times. All was now excitement
among the officers and men. Every
one was anxious to know if it was the
kind of whale that was wanted.
The mate hailed the man at the mast
head:
where sway 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, aye sir"
Keep her away said the captain to
the man at the helm. Boy, hand me
the spy glass"
Steady" sung out the man at the
mast head
STEADY it is" answered the man st
the wheel.
The captain started to go aloft "Mr.
A. to the mate, 1you may square in
the after yards and call all hands,"
Forward there!" shouted the mate.
Haul the mainsail up and square the
yardsl Bill" to an old sailor
1Sir?"
aCaIl all hands,
AYE, y Q sir. All hands ahoy, =
shouted old Bill, in a voice like q temp
est; "stand by the boats
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 q mile off,
Down helm r. shouted the captain.
"Mr. A., brace the mizzen topsail
Hoist and swing the boats and lower
away
AS the boats struck the water, every
man on his thwart. with his hands on Che
loom Of the oar, and in less time than ii
takes to write it the three boats were
cutting their way through the water in
the direction Of the whafs.
IT was my duty to- steer the mates
boat. and she happened to be the fast
est puller, SO that, although we all lett
the ship together, and for d 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
"giye way" we should drop the others
in a moment. So we did not fret our
selves, but kept cool for q tight pull
when the whale should show himself on
the surface Of the water again, which
he did in q moment after.
"There she is, 2 cried the mate, "and
nos over ten rods from the boat. Nov
my dear fellows, lay back hard, I tell
you'll There she blowsl Only give, my
boys. and she is oursi"
The boat bounded forward like d
thing ef life,
Spring like tigersp' says the mate,
his voice sinking almost to e whisper,
/ locked to see what kind of q chance ]
was to have at the same time pulling al
my oar with all my might We were 60
ing on to her starboafd quarter, jns'
the chance I liked to fasten TO d whale
Stand uplp shooted Che mate, and
in q moment had two harpsons to ths
bitches into hers
"Stern-stern 0Ilfn sung out til,
mate. as he law the iron IN the whale
Z Come here, my boy be said to me
We shifted ends, he to the aoad. and