The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1891-01-15
CAPTURING A WHALE.
LIVELY ADVENTURE WITH A cETAc.
Fan MONSTER.
The Great Fish Smashes Three Boats Be-
fore the Life is Harpooned Out
OF Him.

many trying scene and bloody fight, /
and, although have faced death in q
thousand forms in the war, it was on
whaling voyage that l came nearest be-
ing killed"
well, we rounded the cape without
any interesting incidents, and up near
the island of Juan Fernandez we lay
one bright morning and all on board
were cleaning up when There she
blows came the ringing cry from the
man at the masthead, aud away off to
the northwest we saw a stream of water
spouting out of the ocean and knew it
must be a huge whale. At once all
was confusion on board, and the cap
tain gave the order, Stand by to lower
boats, and quick as cats we sprang to
our places. When within about mile
of the monster Down boats Lower
away and Go for your whale came
the orders in quick succession, and
away we SHOT toward our prey. The
boats on such occasions have nothing
in them but cask of water and one of
biscuits, and two harpoons and lances,
with the necessary rope, about $50
fathoms, coiled in tub so that it could
be paid out easily. The three boats,
carrying eighteen men altogether,
rowed swiftly, with muthed oars, for
the whale. A whale is very easily
frightened and the greatest care must
be exercised in getting close upon him
without detection, for when scared he
will dive and come up perhaps three
miles away. A queer fact in this con-
nection is that he will always dive in
the winds eye, as though he under
stood that, having pull against the
wind and swell, he could be least
followed. However, we got pretty
close to our whale, when we shipped
our oars and padded the remainder of
the distance. We came up quietly
without his having any suspicion of
our presence. and just as the edge of
our boat scraped his side the officer
plunged the harpoon into his side, and
stern all came the Order, and every
man lay to his oar and backed out.
These whaling boats are sharp az both
ends, so that they can be backed al
most as fast rs they can be rowed for
ward. 1t was we'll for US in this case,
for our whale dove straight down,
making a whirlpool aud taking out
line with frightful rapidity. Seeing
! that our line would be insufficient a
second boat came up and made fast it's
| line to ours, and that, too, was soon
| paid out. and still the whale went on.
The third line was attached and that,
too, was soon gone and as we had no
more rope block of wood two inches
thick and two feet square was attached
to the end, and as this could not be
kept under the surface long at a time
we kept trace of it, and by that means
of the whale.
In about forty minutes the fellow
came to the surface, spOuting furiously,
and we picked I'D the block and rowed
for him, taking in line as we advanced.
A second time we drew near, but Just
as another harpoOn was to be thrown
he gave one splash with his tail and
knocked us about twenty feet in the
air. The boat was smashed to pieces
and / came down so close to the mon
ster that put my foot against his side
to push myself so that l might swim.
The captain lighted on the whales
head, but rolled off into the water, and,
seeing my action, he tried the same.
Unfortunately, he stuck his foot into
the mouth Of the whale, and down went
the monsters jaw, held it fast. and
down went the whale, taking the
captain along. But a whale has teeth
only on its lower jaw, and these fit into
| depressiOns in the upper gums, so that
the captain was not severely crushed,
but badly bruised, and soon the whale
let him go and he came to the surface
about used up and was taken in by
one of the boats.
Again we made for the whale. This
time the second mate took the har.
poon, and as we neared the Quoted
monster, only a broad expanse o.
whose back projected above the water,
the mate, who thought himself funny.
said: Which end are we at?' AS if in
answer to the question the whale
showed plainly that we were at the
rear end by giving one swoop with his
great tail fin, which landed us in a
dozen directions, while our prey again
disappeared.
1.-The second mate had had enough
and the third mate now took charge OF
one boat, and again we rOwed for the
big fish. But this time he saw us com.
ing, and like a mad BULL with tail in
air, he started for us with open mouth.
Now, of all the jewellers of the deep
the whale is the swiftest swimmer, and
the speed with which the Infatuated
monster came at US was frightful. just
as he was almost upon us, Jump fol-
your lives came the order, and into
the water we went like so many fright.
ened frogs. None too soon, either. for,
true to his aim. the whale seized the
| 70 in
to lot of splnters. We shivered a!
we saw this, for although whale car
not eat man he can smash one uI
pretty badly.
The two harpoons gave the monster
no end of pain, and now he began tc
roll about in agony. We got another
boat and put after him, and now be
was in too great torments to notice u.s.
and we slipped up, and as he rolled his
belly up lance was driven into him
just under the left forward fin Bloodl
Barrels of it poured out. The whole
ocean seemed made of blood, and
finally he commenced running in cir
Gle and one tremendous CONFUSION
proclaimed the end.
THE ship was hauled alongside the
carcass, which it equaled 10 length.
and we began to take off the blubbcr
First the head was unjoined and wa;
swung around to the stern. and the
blubber was stripped off the body
This is done by fastening pully in 8
loosened place and then pulling and
cutting. at the same time rolling the
carcass over as the blulNar was strip.
ped off. When this was done the head
was turned up, and with small buckets
we dipped out the liquid amber oil
This was greasy job, that with frying
the blubber out and heating the sperm
oil. The grease is clean, though, and sal
water will wash it of, except what ha!
been cooked, and for this we wash the
decks with lime juice. When whale
il killed the blood attracts thousand.
of sharks. and after the carcass il
stripped thousands of birds pick off the
flesh.
well, we bad scarcely finished boil