The morning call., 1892-07-03

throw of our taffraii there lay upon the
water large black shape, like the reflection
OF thunder-cnud.
by beayen! exclaimed the captain.
atter taking a long look, 1T must be n
Wholesome fish as big as a whale-kiIled
by the explosioDv'
Ihe light vas faint, plentiful as the stars
were, ana 1t vas difficult to make out more
than the vast mass OF shadow the thing
MADE close under our stern. One stared,
hoping 10 see 1t vanish, for ii was only the
captain s notion that it was the carcass of n
whale killed by the fire or by the electric
huTiing-up from under the sea. It was not
until the dawn broke, however, that il was
possible 10 get complete idea OF what lay
close 10 the ship, though all night the feel
ihs Oh the giant corpse, pressing its noun
tam OIL corrnptible matter intO the very
SHADOW the ship made as she lay motionless,
rendered the passage of the hours slow and
extremely uncomfortable; and even the first
mate, The mildest hammered seaman l
ever knew, let fly an eXecration or two. when.
after looking at the lumpisb heap of black.
ness astern, be sent his eyes round the Jet
like circle and found every tip of radiance
in 1t tremorless
Now, when the dawn came, what we saw,
hanging In the same spot where it had
arisen, was the body of a great whale, "fin-
OUT as the whalers say, with its belly rent
IN tne strangest manner, as though Is feet
OF hlm had been clumsily gashed 1t
wouldn't make pretty picture to describe
the slght. 1ou can realize what mutilation
means when the carcass is half the size OF
the snip 1t floats alongside OF. There
were three or four Sharks at work upon
IL, plunglng their frightful teeth into
tne mass, and worrying the water
WIN WIN their dragginss and tearings into
little circles of foam. The hot sun coming
up-hot do l call him ?-roastiug. l should
say, with quick putrefying powers in every
houI oil his broiling light, made the dead
whale thing to be got away from as fast as
possible. Indeed, it was shocking sight
1or the ladies 10 see and disgusting for most
OF US men. though I'll own 10 a sort of fas-
clnatlon in the spectacle of the sharks gorg-
ing themselves and driving their shovel
noses In their flemish way into their hide
Gus feast.
What was to be done? We might be be-
Gained for another week-aye, for another
fortnight. Long ere this the heat would
nave risen out of that carcass a pestiferOus
atmosphere for all hands TO droop and die
10. We waited till noon; there was not
mint OF air, SO when the men had had their
dinner, the order was given for the boats to
be got over and tow the whale away
but whether the OyerpOwering heat
rendered the boats crews, many of whom
were foreigners Of poor stamina, incapable
OF putting much weight into their oars.
Wnelher the extraordinary sluggiShness Of
the deep, backed by the deadness of the
mass. hlndered their progress, ii was certain
that though three boats had got hold of the
tow rope, yet after straining for two hours
the only result was TO carry the whale not
nve shlp's lengths distant from us.
In iact, we were no better off, but rather
worse. for now the horrible thing lay plain
II you looked toward the sea that way,
whereas before it was almost out Of sight
unless you went of expressly TO see 1t.
lie crew said they were dead beaten, and
the captain, hoping for a catspaw. had the
boats up to the davits again. But
all that night il was our pleasure
to have that hin Of blubber and flesh close
aboard Of US, and see the sharks flashing up
the hre as tEey feasted. Happily lust be-
lore sunrise light air came along dead
ahead. The captains business was TO get
clear OF the whale, and without troubling
himself about his course he made a fair
WIND OF the draught, running everything
aloft that would catch it. The catspaw-
II was little more-drove US two miles
away from the whale, then failed and
for three days following the calm remained
the same extraordinary stagnation. Then
one night small breeze sprang up from the
westward and next morning found the clip
per sweeping through a stormy sea under
slngle-reefed tOpsais. J.C.