The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-07-24
CAPTAIN CASTLES WHALE.
The Thrilling Tale Told by Him on
the San Francisc Exchange.

the San Francisco Exchange.
An interesting story is told in the E.c-
dminer of San Francisco of the adven-
ture had by the pilot boat Lady Mine, re-
Gently The boat, Captain Steve Castle,
was lying becalmed about 10 miles south
west of the main Farallones. Not ship
was in sight and the captain improved
the opportunity to shift the schooner's
canvas for her lighter summer suit. All
hands were engaged on the work, and to
secure more deck room the yawlboat
used for boarding vessels was heaved over
the side and made fast astern by six or
eight fathoms of painter.
The sea was full of whales, lolling
about on the CLASSY surface, playing and
blowing and emitting an unpleasant oily
odor, as whales are wont to do when the
sun is shining, the air is still, and the
water smooth. Ore particularly big fell
low of the finback variety. commonly
called California Gays, manifested much
interest in the Lady Mine and came along
side to investigate. The first notice of
his approach was received from tre-
mendous flock of small seabirds that
SKINNED along the surface, flying down
to snatch their food of parasites every
time the whale came to the surface. All
the birds flew away when the big fish
sounded cables length from the Lady
Mine, and the crew thought he had taken
his departure. In this they We're errone-
ours for in about two minutes the
schooner set up violent rocking, huge
black bulk suddenly loomed up alongside,
there was sound of escaping steam, and
half the deck was wet with a cloud of
i'll smelling spray.
1t was an awful big whale for n fin
back. 1t was longer than the Lady Mine,
which measures 50 feet.
When he came up he touched the
schooner, but did it very gently, not
with a jar or bump, but with a slow
upheaval that simply showed the vessel
off sideways and careened her over
little until her round bottom slid off the
monsters back. The whale appeared
highly delighted, and repeated the per-
formance. For two hours he was never
200 yards from the Lady Mine, and half
the time when he was above water the
crew could have touched him by simply
extending their hands over the side. A
dozen times he rubbed against her side,
but always with the same gentleness that
characterized his first contact, and often
his huge fin protruded above the rail as
big as boat sail.
head were literally covered with barna-
cles. 1t was to rid himself of these that
he rubbed up against the boa. the crew
soon learned. Several times it looked
very scary to see the terrible bulk rising
swiftly from the depths of the clear
water, but he was considerate enough to
always slacken speed just before strik-
ing, so that the contact amounted to no
more than gentle push.
The crew did not mind the whale using
the Lady Mine for backscratcher as
long as he continued good natured about
it, but they did protest against the odor,
and finally made an attempt to drive him
away. The boatkeeper prodded him
with sharp pointed spinnaker boom just
as he rose near the schooner's stern.
Down he went like fash, and in his
furry he preached directly across the
little yawps painter, which was hanging
slack a foot or 30 beneath the surface of
the water. Ono of his flukes caught the
line, and as the several tons of blubber
and whalemeat went down the yawl boat
went too. The bow plunged under with
a terrific dash, and the oars and loose
bottom boards of the boat few for yards
in all directions.
The entire boat was lost to sight for
over a minute, when it popped up like a
cork, full Of water, but right and tight
and perfectly uninjurcd. The crew used
garnished language, bailed the boat out.
gathered up the gear that strewed the
surrounding ocean, and hauled the rescued
craft aboard.
The whale manifested no anger what
ever, but returned in a few minutes as if
nothing had happened. He rubbed of a
couple or three more barnasles as gently
as before, flirted his monstrous tail con-
temptuously, and took his departure.
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