The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1885-04-30
THERE SHE BLOWSr
An Old Sailors Story of Life on
Board a Whaler.
Not All That Fancy Paints It-His Advice
to Young Men Going a-WhaI-
ing Is Embraced in the
Word Don't.


''One of the Detroit dailies recently
contained an interview with gentle
man who once made a two-years' cruise
in whaling vessel, and / read it with
peculiar interest. for it recalled Incl
dents connected with my youth that l
can never forget" remarked silver
haired resident of this city yesterday.
From it the general reader would OBJ
tain sort of an idea of what life on
board a 'Blubber Hunter is, but only
enough to excite curiosity, and possibly
ayearning for more of the same kind of
information. His experience was gained
fifteen or twenty years subsequent to
mine, and possibly the practices and
usages on shipboard were changed some
what during that period. Certain it is
that my experience differed materially
from his, and was not such as to incline
one to try second voyage.
when | made fool of myself and
went to sea (see whale and other
things too numerous to mention) the
whaling business was atits best, and the
system of bounties, that he speaks about
were not in vogue. Officers and men
had certain lay or share of the oil
taken, although it was the custom then
to offer to fit out men ON the strength
or success of the voyage. If the voyage
turned out badly, and the men were in
debt to the ship at its close, that was the
owners loss
'There may be some Young men who
read the Free Press who have become
fired with desire to go to sea. WhatI
shall say to you is spoken with desire
to deter them from taking such an i'll
advised step. A sailors life, and es-
pecially a sailors life on a whaler, is
one should never encourage any Young
man to follow. Not but the life and
calling of sailor is noble one when
entered upon and pursued by anyone
having a natural taste and inclination
IN that direction, coupled with desire
and determination to make it life bust
ness and to achieve success in its pur-
suit. But to 60 to sea, as thousands do,
merely to crafty an idle curiosity or
whim, or to get away from the restraints
OF home, is the worst step any boy can
take; and he finds it out to his sorrow
very quickly. but, alas! too late Ispeak
from experience, for have sailed many
voyages, and the last one was on
Whaler. That cured me.
In fitting out a whaler, the number
OF men shipped depends upon the num-
Der OF boats carried, and this, in turn.
depends upon the tonnage of the ship.
a small brig or bark never carries more
IMAM three boats, and these are the class
OF vessels that used to cruise in the South
Atlantic for sperm whales Larger yes
Sels, those that used to 90 around Cape
Horn to cruise in the Pacific, never car
rled less than four boats, and were fitted
out Tor sperm and right whaling. These
|haters were fitted out for cruise of
lour or five years, the boats were twen-
ty-six TO twenty-eight feet in length, with
oars from fifteen to seventeen feet long.
ana each boat carried about $50 fathoms
OF ilne coiled in two tubs. The Soutb
Atlantic whalers were fitted out for
shorter cruises. AVA
., ooat crew comprised an officer
N'ne Otptaln or one of the mates), who
was called the header; boat steerer
"no was also the harpooner. and four
sailors, six in all. The boatsteerer al
ways pulled an oar until the hoat was
near the whale, when he exchanged II
ior harpoon and stood ready to dart it
INTO the whale. 'l ~
=, III was usually the custom to shin all
.he green hands possible for the reason
tnat they could be hired cheaper than
experienced men, and often at the com
hheneement the1 OF voyage it was found
1hat the ship in rough and stormy
weather was poorly provided with men
capable OF making and taking in sail. or
assisting in properly caring for the safety
o. the vessel. The green hands were at
irst hrst almost useless, and until thew had
iearned to steer, and how to get up aloft
III rough weather and handle themselves
aIter they got there, the labor of work
ing the ship fell upon few old sailors
ahu the boatsteerers, even the officers
duty. Ae'o ~ uo men 5
AS soon as the vessel was fairly out
70 sea- however, the green hands were
put through a course of training which
quickly made them wish they had STAYED
az nome. They were sent aloft to Iook
ou' ior whales, and as soon as a school