The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-09-01
MODERN WHALE-HUNTiNG,
The Bomb Lance and How 1t Is Used BY
the Monterey Fishermen.

The Bomb Lance and How 1t Is Used by
the Monterey Fishermen.
The Monterey Whaling Company is
about the Oldest institution of the kind
on the coast, and the stock proves very
fair investment to the holders, who are
the whale-killers themselves. The bus
mess Office, store-room and eating and
sleeping apartments of the company are
in white adobe building in the west
ern suburbs, and half a mile further
south is high cliff, wherein is the
company's lookout. He is armed with
a powerful glass, and a tall mast is
r.gged with halyards for hosting a
signal when game is sighted.
The hunting tools consist of three of
the regulation double-pointed boats in
use by whalers the world over, five long
oars to each boat, two hundred fathomS
of line smoothly coiled in tubs in the
bow, and two guns to each boat. The
larger size of the two has the proper
tons of Il young cannon and is mount
ed on pivot. The missile discharged
from it is steel bar four feet in length.
and provided with folding barb that
opens out when the harpoon buries it.
self in the whale. This takes the place
Of the old-tme harpoon, and is much
more certain and effective. The lighter
gun is fired from the shoulder, and looks
like large-sized fowling piece. 1t has
a 1-2 inch bore. 1t is used 10 put the
finishing touches on the whale after the
harpoon has made him fast, and the
method is to fire an explosive bomb into
a vital spot. The bomb is 10 inches
in diameter by Is inches long, the butt
end being winged with rubber tips, after
the manner in which an arrow is
feathered, to secure guiding power.
1t was early morning when the white
signal iluttered to the top Of the staff of
the mast on the cliff, and having pre-
v.ously obtained permission to Join the
hunt with Captain Mariana, the quar-
termaster was speedily seated in the
stern sheets, awaiting the signal to
shove off. This was soon given, and
six miles to the northwest the three
boats came up with their game, which
proved to be an unusually large speci-
men of the California gray variety.
The gigantic fish rolled lazily about on
top OF the water, all unconscious of i'm
pending danger, and did not even deign
to notice the approach of the boats that
came upon either side and behind her.
A hundred feet away the men Law on
their oars, and Captain Mariana sighted
over his swivel gun. The men bent
over their oars, with every muscle
ready to pull or back water at the slight
est hostile movement on the part of the
enemy. 1t was moment that seemed
an age of awful suspense to the green
hand, but presently the captain had a
fair mark presented, and pressed the
trigger. The boat quivered under the I
shock accompanying the report, and
the eye could plainly catch the flash of !
the harpoon as it cleaved the air and
buried itself out of sight somewhere in
the right shoulder. Attached to the i
steel missile was the stout MANILA line |
coiled in the bow, and it bore the APP
pearance Of a flash of brown lightning
as it ri gagged through the air after its
powerful motor.
The whale hardly seemed to compre-
bend the trouble that had overtaken her
st first, and it was fully half minute !