Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1885-11-21
A TALE FOR THE MARINES
The Yarn that a Guileless Old
Sea Captain Spins.
How a Big Whale Towed a Boats Grew
Many Niles to Land,


\ flag with perpendicular bars of
red and white floats over the roof Of
large building in town. says Nan
tuchet Mass letter to the New
York Sun The building is the Gus
tom House. SO called through tradition,
for no vessel ever enters this port from
foreign lands now, and there can be
no customs to collect. 1t is conducted
by a number of suLerannuated old
sea captains, who smoke all day and
weave tremendous sea yarns for the
benefit Of any city man who may
chance along. One weatherbeateL old
salt told prize story lately, and now
the others\are racking their brains for
something to surpass him. He said:
Il left Nantucket on May Is, 1871,
as second mate of the snug bark Anna
Snowdon, Capt. keziah Coffin. bound
for the Pacific Ocean. I'm not going
to tell you of our trip around the
Horn, although that was rather lively
and we did lose two men overheard,
but will get right down to the bottom
facts of what | started in to tell We
had already killed two big whales, and
were poking around about four hun
dred miles north of the Sand wich Is
lands, when we sighted big fellow
ALLOWING not mile away. The first
mate and myself put off in two boats.
but | had the likeliest crew, and
struck the whale frst-struck him
hard, too, because he was spouting
blood in five minutes. Just then We
saw another whale and the first mate
put out after that one. The bark
tried to beat up in our direction, but a
squall came on and we lost sight Of
her. The waves were so big that we
should have been capsized if we ad
| not kept to the leeward of the whale,
| which we had killed before the squa
struck us. It's big carcass formed a
sort of break water Besides that the
oil that oozed from it's wounds seemed
to quiet the waves We were afraid
some big waves would [fhrow the
whale on top of us, but by keeping THE
oars going we managed to- stay at a
safe distance.
when the storm passed over not a
sign OF the bark was to be seen. There
we were anchored to whale out in the
middle of the Pacific Ocean, with not
more than two days ratons of bread
and water for the seven men in that
little boat We waited all that day il
hopes Of seeing the ship. and At night
we burned some blubber on the back
OF the whale, but no help came. Wher
morning came and no sail could bt
seen. we knew that there was no hope
of finding our vessel again, and there
was nothing to do but to pull ava,
in the direction of the Sandwich Is
lands. trusting to reach them before ;
violent storm should overWhelm us
We cut our harp0ons out of the Whale
because we didn't know when NJ
might need them. There is one o
them in the corner there now. Guild
Ing the boat with compass which
always carried with me, we pulle'
away for the Sandwich Islands W
made forty miles that day. and tn
men were terribly tired We slept b,
watches, off and on. and by pulling
now and then perhaps gained tel
miles during the night. The mex
day the men were worn out, and til
sun was So hot that they could no
work their oars. Our chances 0
reaching land seemed very poor
Toward noon was standing On tn
bow Of the boa: looking around i
hopes of seeing sail, when | saw
IlH-Ddck WnaIc COME 10 l1E SUI ldCc Ia
more than DO yards away. 1t WAS n
use to US now. but the whalema
instinct was too strong within me t
be resisted
"'Give way ! cried There sh
, blows.
Il picked up a harpoo1. and as tn
prov OF tine boat alm1st tonched Ii
whale ! drove the point deep into II
side II tailed To reach a vital poin
and away the biC te.law went II
line ran out So last II Irst that II III a
the rail smoke. and / raised the hatch'
ready to cut it. Tor feared the wha
would draw rs under But the strai
slaczen-d after little until the-e ";
only moderate pull, AL giving Il
END twist around row-ock | let u
whale tow us a! n. "
This Is better nor rowing. So