The Irish standard., 1889-02-09

Nood; 80 was our clothing. Tho other
whale blew of the atarboard quarter even
while we were speaking. and rolling high,
emitted deep grunt or below of singular
Neptunian cadence. I caught glimpse OF
The ''sail' fms of three sword-tish rolling
40 into view for moment with the whale.
We were in some danger, and realized the
sact, for if one of the prosecuted whales
should chance to breach close under the
hull of boat of the Kermadec's size, the
results of collision might be disastrous.
We held our breaths for moment, know
ne that the leviathan was somewhere in
The depths beneath our keel, and that its
huge up-coming head might at any instant
butt us out of the water like cork. But
The danger came from another source. For
iully dozen of the ''saip' fms were now
,spied, cutting the water about the hull Of
he little yacht, and moment later we felt
shock; as if it had struck or grazed upon a
rock! So severe was the conclusion that
several Of the party were thrown OF their
feet. The cutter careened to port. There
came sensation as il dozen men were
;ugging to haul her astern with q hawser-
wrench on wrench like = trcmor OF . screw
propeller!
s'My goodness!' muttercd the doctor
''The whales afoul of us!"
Then came final wrench, accompanied
BY a cracking noise and the gurgle Of water.
"Here, mon. Lay bauld o. the tiller!"
I'D Sandy shouted, and Peyster fastening
10 do so, the skipper dashed down into the
little cabin The others were now far be-
hind him, when it was discovered that
the cutter was leaking dangerously. Water
was gushing in at place where the VAIN
soothing seemed to be split to pieces.
s'Fetch the axep old Sandy called out,
and when 1t was handed to him he knocked
away the inner sheathing of finish work
Three or four blows disclosed hole
through the cutters side planking through
which the water was squirting in with great
force. a stream as large as the axe-handle
We were soon able to calk it with the
sleeve of An Old olskin jacket, but had
hardly began to dc 80, when thN'np came a
second blow against the side, accompanied
by rasping noise Immediately behind
where we stood, seemingly back Ct the
three or four steps which led down into the
cabin. Again the little craft careened and
shook like q leaf, and Peyster, appearing in
The gangway above US, called out that there
were more than fifty Of the ''sallfsh"
round the yacht, and that they were coming
al her full drive. No water had come
through iron, the last blow, but, on clear
ing away the steps and inside finish, about
8 foot Of a horny, serrated, poker-ikc shaft,
RS large as mans forearm, was Gscov-
cred protruding through the planking, and,
from the trensor which was communicated
10 the boat, it WAS evident that the fish was
hard and fast there.
Two more blows forward ut once distract
ed our attention, and one of these started
q leak Of such size that several hogsheads
of water must have come in before we could
get to it and plug up the hole. Meanwhile
Lenfest and Peysrer had taken their double
harreled fowling~ pieces and opened FIRE on
our assailants. Yet 80 far from being de-
TERED by this noisy fusillade, the enraged
sword-fish continued to charge at the cut
ter. Before the leak forward could be
calked three fresh shocks further astern
were felt, and q little forward Of the stern
post on the weather side still another horny
gray-green "sword' was discovered, thrust
. foot through the sheathing.
A singular scraping sound could be heard
directly under tbs keel, which was prob
ably made by ths long dorsal fin as
the excited fish darted beneath us.
Thus for haH an hour or more this alarm
ing contest went On, and I should estimate
that not less than twenty thrusts into the
sides of the yacht were delivered by these
marine swordsmen. Not ali OF them pene-
trated the thick sheathings, and only two OF
the Ash actually remained stack in the holes
which they had made in the CUTTERS sides.
We could feel them struggling to get free,
but took no steps to iberate them for the
tine being.
Upon going on deck, after the attack had
slackened somewhat, we found our two
companions still shooting wherever ''sail"
I'm showed in sight within hundred yards
of the yacht. They confidently asserted that
they had beaten of the sword-hsh, having
wounded with shot aad bullets not less than
sixty OF them.
The two whales had disappeared, and we
came 10 the conclusion that in the heat Of
the contest with them, the excited and
angry sword-hsh had mistaken the hull OF
the Kermadec for the bodies of the ceta-
ceans. They in turn now gradually drew
Off from us and disappeared, though sew"
eral OF them followed Us for some hours, as
if 10th to give up the controversy.
The two whose excess Of warlike energy
had led them to attach themselves to US be-
You'd their power Of retracticn, struggled
at times during the evening, and acted Is
grievous drag on urprogress. But deep
were they beneath the side Of the yacht
that there was no practlcable way OF get
ting rid Of them.
We towed them into New Plymouth har-
Dor, where we arrived early the following
forenoon. The cutter was then careened,
and the flsh, along with their swords, with
drawn from their sheathing. BY this time
they had become quite docile, and were
nearly lifeless. Both belonged to that
species of sword-hsh which are commonly
called sail-f1sh in the South Pacific, for the
reason already mentioned. These two
specimens were each about fifteen feet in
length, including the Swords" which
measured three feet four aud three feet
seven inches respectively. These weapons
we have preserved as mementoes OF the
voyage.--U II. More,nd1a, in Tost*h's Compar-
ION.
Foods and Their Effects.
Some of the foods which have q tendency
to constipate are condensed milk, tea, hard
boiled eggs, barley and rice water, thick
ened milk, toast, mutton broth, rice, corn
=.