New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-09-27
"GRIND."
A FARCE ISLAND HARVEST.
THE SLAUGHTER or THE WHALE.

hiIlsidesof ts bleak Yesterday aud the old be-
came young, the SICK sound the lame picked up his
crutch and ran, the deaf heard the coumotlon
| and Joined in. Every man, woman and child able
to WELD knife laid hold of the nearest and sharp
est one an d made for the shore. To-day every
mothers oul Sudero, the south island" is the
richer for his share IN the whale slaughter of yes
terday and food light AMI comfort from their point
of view are assured the hardy islanders for the
long and dark winter that will be at our door long
before New Workers. hail their Indian summer with
! delight. TO tho FarOese the message that school
| of Grind whales has been sighted off the coast
means all these and more. 1t means the realization
of their widest dreams of wealth aud luxury, II the
killing be successful and the yield large Ii means
that even If the barlcy-crop that the only grain
! that ripeus barring accidents in the brief summer
of this nigh latitu lie, has failed they will have
meat TO cat through the winter with their turnips
and potatoes and that their lamps shall
not want for oil IN the long
nights or the bows for decent coats to go to church
in Of a Sunday. Hence the commotion when the
report spread yesterday that boat had been seen
of Koaloig Bay to the north with pair of trousers
hoised at the masthead which signal is interprc-
ted by all within sight 10 rcal Grind! Come
quickly!"
The Grind-whalc pronounce it GRIM had not
called at SulerJ very recently. Its COM
ing is always uncertain and when it Is
least expected, aud all tho moro exciting for
that reason Though this whale Is not among tho
Largest OF its kind rather of the smallest. tho big
gcst rarely exceeding twenty feet in length. yet 1t
is beyond doubt the most useful FOR the well-be-
ing, tie very existence. of whole communities de-
ponds Oh It's coming III somo seasons. Some think
that the Grind-whalcs travel IN schools OF many
thousands in the Arctic seas and that the "ROckS"
A thar ynv iutn Tho hays and fiOrds of the
Far0e Islands have stTayed from tbs main body
and lost their way. However that may be. these
"hlcks" are sometimes very large. Eleven hln-
drcd were killed in one day. some years ago. IN
Wcstmanhaon, and up on tho North Islam Ia
single catch yielded fully thou
sand. Such "killiags' make epochs in
FARCE history. simple aud uneyeltfu ~ that is,
and tie islanders eyes Gl,stcI no tells OF tham
Boats are continually on tho lookout for Grind oft
the islands when their barren heights and bleak
shores are not wrapped in fogs or swept by storms
IN which no vessel can live which IS tho rule rather
than tho exception. connection IN the water,
here and there a of black shouts lifted
in0uiringly above the surface. announce the
approach OF the Grind. Up 90 trousers.
coat. or any old garment that is Gt
hand. b the masthead, and the boat mannu
vres promptly to prevent the escape of the whales
seen on shore than all work ceases, all other c1res
or concerns are laid aside on the instant. Fire5ar
lighted on tho hlI-t ps and rlnucrs carry tho mos
sage "GriudebuJ." that IL, news of Grind from
settlement TO settlement, climbing the III I'M
taigs and forlIug streams with Incredible
speed and activity. Tho duty of every one
who bears ID ~ 10 Tpsh NJ once 10 the
water 10 assist in driving the Grind ashore and IN
killing Il there. The Fardese are sober. religious
people. but when, has happened moro than once,
The message reaches ByGd or settlement. on sum
day during services church and sermon nr5 1or-
gotten or put Of Ia a more convenient season, and
the congregation beaded by the minister, make Ter
the shore with oil the speed that Is IN the The
boats are manned aud well loaded with stone
boat ever goes 10 sea without an ample cargo or
rocks and cobble-stOncs-aud Decline IS made Tor
the GIITd.
often fifteen or twenty miles 10 g against con,
trarg wind. but they get there with wonderful
speed The oarsncn never let up Tor an instant nm
I'll the Grind Is in sight. Other boats have by this
tillc Joined the Original dIscoycrcr that alone hal
begun the task Of driving tho whales INTO the bay
Tho biz creatures are az tnId as MN
uOws and fly in Hurry or fright ut
the splash of n stone IN the water and at the Sight
Of the streak It makes rs 1t sinAs To- the bottom
The boats follow. ever narrowing thor line and
crowding the whales father IN toward tho
shore, where by this time half the popp-
knives, hooks and ropes a constant BON
bardrlcnt OF stones ia kept mp and any DISPOSE
u
sea ~ watched Tor aud promptly checked tcrowded
too hard, the Grind may tara suddenly and
with a desperate dash pass tho n'ats, IN Which
case II ~ lO5t and all the labor OF the pursuit goes
Tor nothing. Some schools are rather more nasty
and hot headed than Others. The one OF Yesterday
was ucaceably inclined aud lay quietly IN thc bay
until sufficient number of boats 10 mako sure of
= successful fight had been gathered ami the ebb
tide favored the grand coup. By mat tine, tHo'
the DANISH man .of-war Diana, that was within "a
score Of miles when the "GrIndebnd' went arJund
had put IN an appearance and oi'rcl assist
ance Some of the sailors were SEM ashore 10 JON
the waiting tnrOng there, and the balm, VINO ny
Gil ld-klu takes supreme cOmifand and Yields
undncsiioucd AUTHORITY inspected every boat and
saw To il that its armament of stones AID at least
Two whoo harpo0Ds-srong siN-foot poles with
big broad blades on tho end ground TO sharp
point an, keen ublc cGgc-was complete. his
done he gave the word for the boats to move.
With loud shouts and q SbOwerof stones tho start
was made IN a double line Tor the beach bali mic
away. The wha.es had up to TINS becn iylhe
quietly enough with their noses turned lhQuriugly
toward land, and again toward the sea; but now
they began 10 move about uncnsily, turning from
the boats. They were clearly enough getting
alarmed at the aspect Of things but could not make
no their minds what TO do. When they got into
low water they likod it still less aud the holdest
maize terrific rush for the inner line OF boats TO
gain tie deep. Met by stouc-throws and yellS,
they ran a'Ong il. sccling m outlet, and nearly
found one at the extreme right where the Inc
was weak 4; bat few wcl-dlrcctcd
stones drove .hem back, and turning about they
now made with as great speed for the beach, those
in front grounding and strringnp the sand and mud
of the bottom that the clear bay became turbid
mud-pool. scapc now no longer possible, tho |
whales being unable to sec their way out That |
was the signal for the slaughter to begin. The |
boats broke Inc and made q common !
onset the struggling deienceless
mass tine harpooners cutting right and |
left as they shot from whale to whale. avoiding |
with great skill their dangerous tails with winch
the maddcned monsters clurned the sea to foam |
IN their dying agony. The Fighters on shore. among
whom were n number of tho picked young men In |
the settlements. into the water some tunes upto |
their necks, and gashed each struggling whale !
across the back Of tho neck with their short, sharp
knives, then left It to bleed 10 death. Some in |
their mad rush had run clear up on |
the beach; these were slashed first: a |
stout iron hook with a wooden handle |
not unlike 4 cotton hook, which every islander car
ries with his knife in tho belt, was fixed in the
whales eve and SIX or seven men pulled II ashore.
Nv degrees the whole beach became covered with |
the huge beasts When il was over. in less than