The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1885-11-18
A FARCE ISLAND HARVEST.
DISCOVERY AND SLAUGHTER OF A
SCHOOL OF WHALES.
The Signal which Hrings the En-
tire Population 60 the shore XIII
ing and Dividing the 'Cntch,o


says: The brief message "Grind, ran
up and down the hillsides OF this bleak
island yesterday, and the old became
young, the sick sound; the lame picked
up his crutch and ran, even the deaf
heard the commotion and joined in.
Every man, woman and child able to
WELD knife laid hold of the nearest
and sharpest one and made for the shore.
To the Faroese the message that a school
of Grind whales has been sighted off the
coast means the realization of their Wild
est dreams of wealth and luxury, il the
killing be lccessful and the yield large.
1t means that even If the barley crop,
that is the only grain that ripens, bar
ring accidents, in the brief summer of
this high latitude, has failed, they will
have meat to eat through the winter
with their turnips and potatoes, and that
their lamps shall not want for oil in the
long nights, or the boys for decent coats
to 60 to church in of Sunday. Hence
the commotion when the report spread
yesterday that a boat had been seen off
Koaloig bay to the north with a pair of
trousers hoisted at the masthead; which
signal is interpreted by all within sight
to read: ''Grind Come quicklyw
A commotion in the water, here and
there q score of black snouts lifted in
quiringly above the surface, announce
the approach of the Grind. Up go
trousers, coat, or any old garment that is
at hand, to the masthead, and the boat
man9uvres promptly to prevent the es-
cape of the whales, leaving the signal to
do the rest. No sooner is it seen on
rh all 1
other cares or concerns arc laid aside on
the instant. Fires are lighted on the hill
tops and runners carry the message
"Grindebud, that is "news of Grind"
from settlement to settlement climbing
the mountains and fording streams with
incredible speed and activity. The duty
Of every one who hears it is to rush at
once to the water to assist in driving the
Grind ashore and in killing it there.
The Faroese are sober, religious people,
but when, as has happened more than
once, the message reaches Bygd, or set
tlement on Sunday during services,
church and sermon are forgotten or put
off to more convenient season, and the
congregation, headed by the minister,
make for the shore with all the speed
there is in them. The boats are manned
and we'll loaded with stones-no boat
ever goes to sea without an ample cargo
of rocks and cobble-stanes-and a bee
line is made for the Grind
With loud shouts and a shower of
stones the start yesterday was made in
double line for the beach half a mile
away. The whales had up to this been
lying quietly enough with their noses
or1
again toward the sea; but now they
began to move about uneasily, turning
from the boats. They were clearly enough
getting alarmed at the aspect of things,
but could not make up their minds what
to do. When they got into low water
they liked it still less, and the boldest
made terrific rush for the inner line of
boats to gain the deep. Met by stone
throws and yells, they ran along it,
seeking an outlet, and nearly found one
at the extreme right, where the line was
weak; but a few well directed stones
drove them back, and turning about they
now made with as great speed for the
beach, those in front grounding and stir
ring up the sand and mud at the bottom
so that the clear bay became turbid
mud pool. Escape was now no longer
possible, the whales being unable to see
their way out. That was the signal for
the slaughter 10 begin. The boats broke
line and made common onset on the
struggling, defenceless mass, the har-
pooners cutting right and left as they
shot from whale to whale, avoiding with
great skill their dangerous tails, with
which the maddened monsters churned
the sea to foam in their dying agony.
The lighters on shore, among whom were
a number of the picked young men
IN the settlements. ran into the
water, sometimes up to their necks,
and gashed each struggling whale
across the back of the neck with their
short, sharp knives, then left it to bleed
to death. Some in their mad rush had
run clear up on the beach; these were
slashed first; stout iron hook with
wooden handle not unlike cotton hook,
which every islander carries with his
knife in the belt, was fixed in the whales
eye and six or seven men pulled it
ashore. By degrees the whole beach
became covered with the huge beasts.
When it was over, in less than three
quarters of an hour, counted 1876 in a
ghastly row. The enormous loss of
blood OF the whales quickly dyed the
muddy water bright red that deepened
as the struggle went on and spread
further from shore until the bay seemed
a sea Of blood
The slaughter over, the kidneys of
the monsters, now secured on the beach
against misadventure from wind or flood.
were cut out and carried in triumph into
the Bygd, where forthwith a grand feast
was spread. The grindwhale's kidney is
esteemed a great delcacy, and as the
occasion called for liberal potations of
schnapps, matters were soon on very
comfortable footing all around. On the
feast followed dancing. When the
Faroese dance, they clasped hands in a
hugh circle and stamped around vigor-
ously, keeping tact to the grind song,
like all their poems an amending string
of verses with tie common refrain: