Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-10-16
A FARCE ISLAND HARVEST.
DISCOVERY AND SLAUGHTER OF A
SCHOOL OF WHALES.
rhe signal which Brings tho En-
tire Population TO the Sh0re-KiII.
ing and Dividing the "Catcb.1


tire Population TO the Sh6re-K
ing and Dividing the "6atoh.''
A letter from Sudero, one of the
Farce islands, to the New York Tribune
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 school
of Grind whales has been sighted off the
coast means the realization of their wild
est dreams of wealth and luxury, if 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 go to church in of Sunday. Hence
the commotion when the report spread
yesterday that boat had been seen off
Koaloig bay to the north with 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 a 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
+ maneuvres promptly to prevent the es
cape of the whales, leaving the signal to
do the rest. No sooner is it seen on
shore than all work ceases, all
other cares or concerns are laid aside on
the instant. Fires are lighted on the hill
tops and runners carry the message
''Grindebud," that is, ''news of Grind, v
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 a 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- bee
! line is made for the Grind.
With loud shouts and a shower of
stones the start yesterday was made in a
double line for the beach half mile
away The whales had up to this been
lying quietly enough with their noses
turned inquiringly toward land, and
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 wat
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
80 that the clear bay became a turb id
mud pool. Escape was now no longer
possible, the whales being unable to see
their way out That was the signal fol
the slaughter to begin. The boats broke
line and made common onset on The
struggling, defenceless mass, the har
pooners cutting right and left as the!
shot from whale to whale, avoiding will
great skill their dangerous tails, witt
which the maddened monsters churneC
the sea to foam in their dying agony
The fighters on shore, among whom were
a number of the picked young mel
in the settlements, ran into th'
water, sometimes up to their necks,
and gashed each struggling whale
across the back of the neck with thei
short, sharp knives, then left it to bleed
to death. Some in their mad rush hat
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 hi
knife in the belt, was fixed in the whale
eye and six or seven men pulled j
ashore. BY degrees the whole beacl
became covered with the huge beasts
When it was over, in less than three
quarters of an hour, counted 1876 in
ghastly row. The enormous loss o
blood of the whales quickly dyed tn
muddy water bright red that deepene'
as the struggle went on and spreat
further from shore until the bay SCENE,
q sea of blood.
The slaughter over, the kidneys o
tue monsters, now secured on the beac
against misadventure from wind or flood
were cut out and carried in triumph int
the Bygd, where forthwith grand feas
was spread. The grindwhale's kidney
esteemed a great delicacy, and as tn
occasion called for liberal potations G
schnapps, matters were soon on a yer
comfortable footing all around. On th
feast followed dancing. When tn
Faroese dance, they clasped hands in
hugh circle and stamped around vigol
ously, keeping tact to the grind song
like all their poems an unending strin
of verses with tie common refrain:
Bully boys
} Kill the Grind,
, Like the job,
or words to that effect. Not until mi
jority of the "bully boys" were snorin
: loudly under the rude tables and bencht
in their wet clothes, which few ha
thought of changing after the killing
was there an end to this interestin
epic.