Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-06-14
CATCHING PORPOISES.
Exciting Work by Indians On tho
 stormy Coast of Maine.


 Along the coast of Maine there are several places where porpoise catching is carried on extensively and affords the principle 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 more or less occupied the year around by whites and Indians who do little else. For years the Passamaquoddy Indians havo made a practice of camping on the beach and applying themselves assiduously to DOT poise harpooning and shooting.
 The winter fish are the fattest and give the most oil; that is the valuable part of the catch. The largest porpoises ure about feet long, will girth feet, we gh 300 pounds and over, and yield six to seven gallons of oil. The blubber is an inch or so thick in warm weather, but in winter double that. A fat tish's blubber will weigh about 100 pounds. The Indians do their work in much the same way now as they did in early years, the most primitive methods prevailing. In trying out the blubber, the appliances are of the rudest kind. The fires are built among piles of stones, over which iron pots are hung. The blubber is cut oil is skinned into jars and cans, and when pure is worth soc. gallon. The best oil comes from the jaws of the DOT poise. The jaws are hung up in the sun, and the oil drops down into vessel, each pair producing about one-half pint. Watchmakers and others using a very fine oil take it in preference to all other, and it commands big price. The blubber oil gives good light, and for years was burned exclusively in the lighthouses along the coast
 In a good season an Indian will catch nearly POO porpoises, each yielding about three gallons of oil but most of them fall q good deal below this, as they are not over partial to tabor, 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 q few gal Ions of Oil go to the nearest market, and sell it, then ''rest till forced by necessity to mako further eXertions. In" DOT pOSeS flesh is like pork when cooked, and a staple article of food.
 The bravery, skill and endurance de- manded of the porpoiSe catchers in their work is almost unKnOHn to the outside world. In the morning, when the mon are going 'porpoi5l,' 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. It takes years of training to make good porpoisc hunter, and the big boys begin by going out with the experienced men. i No matter what the waters condition, be 1 it rough or smooth, if there is d trip con- tcmplated the start is made. In calm weather the blowing of the porpoise can be heard a long way, and guides the h. dians in the right direction.
 i Shooting is the most successful method of killing the fish. Long, smooth-borc guns with big charges of powder and double B shot arc used. As the fish is 1 floating swimming and diving about the water, first on the surface and then below the canoe is padIled as near as possible. | Then, as the porpoise lift>, himself to dive the guns charge is let fly. There is scl- | dom a failure to make a sure shot, but the fish is spcared to stop his tlounderinS nbout'in the dying struggle. It is then landed in the canoe by grasping the pee to"al fin with one hand, sticking d couple of fingers in the blow hole dra gglng it oyer the side.