The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-08-30

At Neah Bay, around Cape Flattery
and down the coast from Tatoosh to
Gray's Harbor, live various tribes of
Indians, who, as hunters and fishers
are as hardy and fearless as any race of
aboriginal men in the known world.
While the writer was at Quillute, the
Indian village forty miles below Cape
Flattery, last fall, whale was sighted
off the beach, and four canoes at once
started toward him. Soon we were
upon the monster, who. rolling lazily
along, paid no heed to the demonstra-
tons of his puny assailants; but he was
rudely awakened. The foremost canoe
darted forward, and ''thud'' went the
harpoon into his broad back, buried
nearly to the shaft. The canoe was
stopped and suddenly backed, and none
too soon, for with sudden and terrific
smash of his hukes ON the water, bare
ly missing the nearest canoe, he sound
ed. A number of sealskln bladders,
fast to the haTpoon-line, were thrown
over, and each canoe, in turn as it
came up. made fast with a line to the
foremost canoe. Up came the monster,
and with fearful lurch all four canoes
were dragged through the water at a
fearful rate as he started for the
ocean.
-Four or five miles were run at this
rate, when his pace slackened, and the
hindmost canoe was hauled cautiously
past the others, and another harpoon
was dexterously planted, and this canoe
assumed the front place in the process
sion, with the others bringing up the
rear. Another wild rush, but shorter
than the FIRST, and repetition of the
performance, until there were half a
dozen harpoons affixed and double as
many sealskin bladders drifting around
the exhausted monster, preventing his
sinking OF sounding. Finally, after
hours of prolonged fight for his life
against his relentless foes, the coup de
grace was given with the lance, final
plunge, and he was ours. Three hours
Of padding with nasty little swell on,
and the whale sunk beneath the water
was the hard task before the whale
before the prize could be beached and
fairly called their own; but CALAMITY
they buckled to it, keeping time to
their work with high. keyed, monoton-
GUS chant, and an occasional ear-pierc-
ing, blood.curdling yell injected into it
that was calculated to raise casual
spectators hair on end.
On the beach the entire remaining
population of the village were awaiting
around huge bonfres the return Of the
hunters, but by no means In silence,
for the yelling, whooping, Staging,
crouching, dancing, du ky, half. naked
figures, as they plunged in and out
the ruddy blaze of the huge drift-wood
fires, reminded one of descriptions of
the internal regions, and raised grave
doubts as to the truth of Bob Inger-
SOILS famous doctrines. The canoes
are safely beached, the whale hauled
up as far as strong hands can drag him,
and left till the outgoing tide exposes
his full proportions on the beach, when
knife and ak and saw do their work till
OF the huge animal naught is left but
few well.stripped bones, on and over
which the village dogs feed and fight
and SNAIL till the incoming tide covers
them with layer of sand.
The carcass is divided among all con-
cerned IN the capture then and there
alike, except that the honor piece,
extending entirely around the animal
and including the dorsal fin, is the pro-
perty of him whose lucky harDoon was
the first to strike the whale. For
many days feasts. songs and small
potlaches celebrate their lucky capture,
and the village finally assumes its nor.
NAL condition.