, 1889-07-04
PORPOISE CATCHING.
EXCITING WORK BY INDIAN FISHER
r. MEN ON THE MAINE COAST.

The Principal Means of support of the
PaSsamaquoddy Tribe-Primitive Meth
DDS of Landing the big Fish and Trying
out the BIubber.
Along the coast of Maine there are
several places where porpoise catching is
carried on extensively and affords the
principal means of support for many of
the people living in those localities. The
Bay Of Fundy is an especially good fish
ing ground, and Indian Beach. bordering
on the waters Of the bay is occupied the
year round by whites and Indians who do
little else. For years the Passamaquoddy
Indians nave made a practice of camp
ing on the beach and applying them
selves a~ssiduously to porpoise harpoon-
ing and shooting. The winter fish are
the latest and give the most oil; hat is
the valuable part of the catch.
FROM HAND TO MOUTH
The largest porpoises are about seven
feet long, will girth five feet, weigh 300
pounds and over. and yield from six to
seven gallons of oil The blubber is an
inch or so thick in warm weather, but in
the winter double that. A fat fish's blub-
Der will weigh about one hundred pounds.
The Indians do their work in much the
same way now as they did in early
years. the most primitive methods pre-
vailing. In trying out the blubber the
appliances are of the rudest kind The
fires arc built among piles of stone, ove
which iron pots are hung. The blubber
l. a-t l., ,r.,1l ,soo,o ,-,I .tNr-I- x..JA.I
The oil is SKINNED into jars and cans,
and when pure is worth ninety cents a
gallon. The best oil comes from the
jaws of the porpoise. The jaws are
hung up in the sun, and the oil drops
down into n vessel, each pair producing
about one-half pint. Watchmakers and
others using n very fine oil take it In
preference to all other, and it commands
a big price. The blubber oil gives n good
light, and for years was burned exclu-
sively in the light houses along the coast.
In n good season an Indian will catch
nearly two hundred porpoises, each
yielding about three gallons of oil; but
most of them fall n good deal below this,
as they are not over partial to labor, and
as long as the returns of one catch will
last, will loaf around the camp rather
than go out again. The custom is to get
a'few gallons of oil, go to the nearest
market and sell it, then ''rest" till forced
by necessity to make further exertions.
The porpoise's flesh is much like pork
when cooked. and is a staple article of
food.
HOW HEY ARE CAPTURED.
The bravery, skill and endurance de-
manded of tho porpoise catchers in their
work is almost unknown to the outside
world. In the morning, when the men
are going ''porpoisin'," the women and
children turn out to see the canoes off.
Each boat has two men, and when a
storm comes up while they are out, or
they are unusually late getting in, there
Is great anxiety among those on shore.
1t takes years OF training to make a good
porpoise hunter, and the big boys begin
by going out with the experienced men.
No matter what the waters condition,
be it rough or smooth, if there is a trip
contemplated the start is made.
In calm weather the blowing of the por-
poise can be heard a long way, and guides
the Indians in the right direction. Shoot
ing Is the most successful method of kill
ing the fish. Long, smoothbore guns with
big charges of the powder and double 3
shot are used. AS the fish is floating,
swimming and diving about the water,
frs. on the surface and then below, the
canoe is padded as near as possible.
Then, as the porpoise lifts himself to
dive, the guns charge is let fly. There
Is seldom a failure to make q sure shot,
but the fish is speared to stop his floun-
dering about in the dying struggle. 1t
is Their landed in the canoe by grasping
the pectoral fin with one hand, sticking
n couple of fingers in the blow hole and
dragging it over the side. In still water
this is easy, but when a high sea is run
ming the undertaking is hard and dan
gerous.
Sharks are plenty, and their fins are
almost always visible cutting the water
as soon as a porpoise is wounded, the
blood attracting them. No end of sto-
ries are told of men having had their
arms bit off by the sharks while they
were reaching into the water to secure
a porpoise, but old fishermen scott at
such q thing, and pay no attention to the
dread ocean monsters as they almost rub
their noses against the sides of the ca
noes.-St. Louis Globe-Democrat.