The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-07
RIDING A WHALE AT SEA
A SEA OTTER HUNTERS HARD
TRIP OFF THE PACIFIC COAST.

| A Very Lucrative Business Spoiled by the
Perverseness of q Stupid Bull Headed,
Humpbacked Whale - An Incredible
| Story of Hard Luck.
In passing up Front street a reporters
attention was attracted to singular ap
pearing man who stood in front of hide
and fur store examining a very hand.
some sea otter skin which hune in the
window. His hair was long, and his face
covered with full growth of beard Of a
rich auburn. hue, which hung down on
his breast. His clothing was of strange
make and material, and his tout ensem-
BILE was calculated to give one an idea
that "the wild man of Borneo had just
come to town" The reporter approached
the window, and after pausing mo-
ment said:
THAT is very handsome skinl'
eyes" said the stranger, sit is very
fine. There is nothing that produces
better fur than the sea otter. have
shot many of them"
might ask whereT' said the report
er. "The sea otter is rare animal now.
81 suppose they are about all killed off
by this time on this coast" said the
stranger 1T was ten years ago when
was shooting them on the coast of Wash
ington territory, and they we're not very
numerous then, but in the course of two
years 1 had killed over fifty, besides a
good many fur seals, and had saved up
over $1,000 in cash, when was suddenly
broke up in business and taken to a
strange country by very singular acct
dent"
On being pressed for an explanation
the stranger told the following remarka
BILE story: Ten years ago was hunting
sea offers on one of the widest parts of
the coast of Washington. several miles
north of the Quillayute Indian reserva-
ton, between Destruction Island and
Cape Flattery. 1t is one of the widest
and most out of the way places on tho
coast. had been shipwrecked on De-
struction Island, and had been rescued
by the Quillayute Indians and had been
living with them several years, and had
married the daughter Of one of the head
men of the tribe.
DANGEROUS TERCH.
81 was happy and contented, for, after
years spent in the forecastle of ship,
the life l led among the Indians was
comparatively pleasant and luxurious.
Besides, as l told you, had saved up
several thousand dollars, when in mo-
ment, by the freak of stupid, bull
headed, humpbacked whale, was torn
from my home and family and cast pen
wilder country than the one had SO I'M
tremendously left, among people COM
pared to whom my Quillayute friends
were civilized and intelligent.
You know, of course, how sea offers
are shot by the hunter having stand
rugged up away out as far from the shore
as possible, by setting up three tall poles,
so that they cross a few feet from the
top, and by building kind of crows
nest in the top of this frail structure. I
had rugged up one of these stands away
out at low water mark and made it as
comfortable as possible, and sometimes
spent two or three days out there, my
wife keeping lookout and securing any
offers or seals l shot was doing first
rate, owing to being so far out, and, al
though several times badly scared by
rough weather and by schools of whales,
which came around my lookout, could
not think of giving it up for place
which might be safer, but where could
not kill so many offers.
1.-The last time got into my lookout
was early one morning. AS the weather
had been stormy was. expecting that
offers and seals would be coming near
the shore, so took along a good supply
of provisions and water and plenty of
tobacco and ammunition, expecting to
stay out two or three days. AS soon as
1t was light and the tide was near the
flood, | saw number of offers lying
asleep in the water just beyond range,
and while | was waiting for them to
drift down toward me along came a
school of half dozen or more of the
small whales common on that coast.
OFF TO SEA ON A WHALE.
'@They came toward my lookout rolling
and spouting and playing, and at length
1 saw one of them making right for the
lookout. l was afraid he would upset
me, and yelled at him, but, whether by
accident or design l knew not, he
plunged between two of the poles on
which my nest was perched, and strik-
ing the other with his nose showed IL
away in front of him, and over went
my nest, landing on his back, one of the
poles sticking straight ahead and the
others straddling him as a man does a
horse. When saw was going jump
ed and landed astride the whales tail,
and quicker than wink with my keen
sheath knife l cut the muscles on each
side Of his tail, which prevented him
from going down. then clambered up
to my nest, and there l was afoat on
whale, with provisions for three days
and neither sail, oar nor compass
The first thing | did was to cut
some loops in the thick hide of the
whale and secure my nest by flashing it
firmly to his back. He struck out from
shore and made the best speed he could
with his partially disabled tail. hus-
banded my provisions and water. and as
| had some whisky and plenty of tobacco
and was used to living in my nest, got
along very comfortably for a week, when
things began to look blue. Fortunately
Russian ship bound for Vladivostock
came along and picked me up.
Il was so uncomfortable on board that
as we We're passing the Kooril islands l
stole ; boat and got ashore. and. ate,