The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-10-16
A WHALE STORY.
REMARKABLE PET OF A SOUTH PA.
CIFiC PLANTER.

I ClFIC PLANTER.
The Big Fish Trapped i'm Lagoon-Yts
Sportive Gambols-The story OF the
Proprietor OF Live Sperm whale.
On small island in the South Pacific
there lives a planter who has for pet q
whale 87 feet long. A correspondent.
who went out in boat with the planter.
gives this account of his interview with
his whaleship:
Shut your eyes, said the planter, q IL
you wish to enjoy surprise.
closed my eyes, and the boys soon
ceased their drumming, and some one blew
long blasts upon a horn. Then that, too,
ceased, and the boat lay motionless, and
nothing disturbed the stiffness. All at
once heard a huge sigh, and felt hot
and sickish breath. There was no need
for the planter to bid me open my eyes,
for the lids would not stay shut. Not
more than six feet away I saw huge
monster floating on the surface and look
ing at us with the most expressionless eye
that I ever saw in living beast.
That's my pet, cried the planter. 81
raised him almost from the time he was
baby of 90 feet long, and now he meas-
ures 81 feet, and lots more growth to
come yet.
The pet was, sperm whale. He seemed
enormous when compared with US men.
Behind the great head there stretched
long body, covered in great patches with
barnacles as large as teacup, and the
sleek fukes of the tail, lying fiat upon the
water, seemed ever SO far away, yet ever
SO much too near when recalled whalers'
accounts Of the behavior of this animal
when it is angry.
The great head rose from the seaso high
above the water that it becalmed the
boat. The eye was about the size of an
OK eye, and had almost the same deep
violet etshade. The ear was not far distant
from the eye, a simple opening in the
skin. The color of the skin was dusty
black, which became lighter and more
yellow underneath. Except for the bar
nacles, the skin was quite smooth.
The great animal lay motionless. just
out of arms reach, until the planter
called to him and dabbled his fingers in
the water much as one attracts kitten
by scratching on the carpet.
The distant fukes made half turn in
the water, and the whale moved easily
toward us and ranged up alongside. just
touching the boat. The planter reached
over the gunwale and gave the whale a
slap between the ear and eye, and babe
him turn on the other side.
Immediately the great head sank,
passed under the boat, and came up drip
ping on the other side. Then the sea
monster sculled ahead until it was 600 Oh
700 feet away from the boat. Then 10
began series of antics, and displayed an
agility scarcely to be expected from SO
large an animal. Itdarted straight ahead,
it suddenly backed water, it swan in
circle, it gamboled like dolphin, ID
threw itself clear from the water, maxi
ing great splash and dangerous waves
when it fell back; last of all it put it's
head down and fukes up, throwing nearly
half its length into the air, and rose
quietly beside the boat. Then the chopped
meat was thrown overheard, and we
rowed back to shore while this odd pet
was feeding.
How did get him?" said the planter,
in answer to my flood of questions. 1T
might be more accurate to say he got me
first. One day, some years ago, I was
sailing up the lagoon with barrel full Of
chopped meat to bait pool in the reef
beyond. All at once felt the boat lifted
up and overturned; and when had
righted her and clambered aboard there
was the whale feeding on the meat which
mad been scattered all about. He was
only 20 feet long then, but that was quite
ong enough to give me good scare, in
addition to my ducking. Somehow or
other he never seemed able to find the
pass back into the sea, and now he is So
zig that he could not get out If he wished
%. From being afraid of him grew
-econciled to his presence in the lagoon,
Ind at last began to feed him.
From that time he attached himself
20 me, and found that he relished being
oetted. Once, when / was ill, / left him
intended for several weeks. He came
lown the lagoon much further than
Usual, and at last ran himself aground
ust below my house, and had to wait
everal hours for the tide to float him of.
That shows that he missed me. Here is
mother example of his intelligence.
When the boys drum upon the bottom Of
he boat, he hears the sound a long dis
ance under the water, and at once comes
o the surface. Then, if blow the horn,
lie knows that have come out to feed
lin, and comes quickly to the boat. But
l do not blow the horn he never comes
lose, but frolics around US at long
ange. It is not easy to say how much
whale has, but this ought
o convince any one that my big pet is
of considerable.