The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-05-21
WHALES AND THEIR D0INGS.
FARMS SPUN BF THE OLD Ex-HHAbks
OF sOU1H s7REEE

That's the best reading I've had for many
a long day." exclaimed the bronzed old ex-
seaman. in his dIngy little sailing ONCE" In
South street. and his bright eyes twinkled.
The reading that pleased him 30 was the VIC
toria despatch In The Sun. giving an account
OF the attack OF an enormous whale on the
schooner Mermaid. of the japan coast, last
month. THAT sounds like old times. Some
folks in these days. may not believe that that
whale pitched into the schooner. and knocked
It almost into sriinters. but they done
know anything about whales. I can
SEQ that big fellow charging on the
vessel Just as plain as II I'd been there. I wish
i had! III could see such n thing once more
I'd be willing to cast my eternal anchor. And
many Just such q furious charge I have seen
in the good old whaling days. It's a good
thing for that schooner and her crew that the
whale was only sleep mad. You don't know
what sleep mad is. do your It's Just the kind
OF mad that big whale had on him. and the
same kind OF mad that any big whale 10 sure
to get on him when he has Just had his dinner
and Is taking his after-dinner nap. The whales
ofthe waters where this schooner Mermaid was
cruising are great %sleepers. They turn over ON
their sides on top Of the water and let the waves
rock them to sleep. especially II they have been
dining pretty heavy. They sleep sound. anal
have moro than once MIXED a she whale whom
she was sleeping like that. without waking
her w. Just as you might milk a COW. Whales
milk. ! want to tell you. is the richest milk that
any animal gives. and. il only enough Of It
could be obtained. 1t would drive cod liver oil
out OF the market. We always MIXED our she
whales when we found them asleep. before
happening 'em. Always. A good. healthy
she whale. with sucking cubs. would give
down a barrel Of milk. and then we'd have q
feast after II hard days work.
But suppose that besides being sleep mad
this big whale that pitched into the schooner
Mermaid had also been harpoon mad. II he
had been. THE Sun wouldn't have had that
story to print. for the schooner or her crew
would never have been heard from again. II
there had been three feet or SO OF harpoon In
that whale. he wouldn't have been satisfied
with one whack at the schooner. although that
one whack disabled her and sent her scurry.
ing to the nearest port for repairs. He would
have gone at her again like a battering ram.
and swooped his terrible fluke about her like
a cyclone. aud sent her. and her crew to tho
bottom. like fellows Of his have done many .
time before. But he was only sleep mad. and
not having the pain Of a harpoon to keep it
fresh In his mind that tho schooner and its
mon were responsible for that pain. he was
satisfied with the damage he did by his one
charge. and went below.
Did ! ever have any close call from an In.
furiated whale? Did |! Well. remembering
few Of EN-. l think l did! For instance, what
would YOU call this one? Forty years ago T
was one OF the crew OF the whaler Mary Pill
grim Of Nantucket. We started in April after
sperm whales in the waters around the Cane dc
Verde Islands. Before we got there we were
and narrowly escaped going to the bottom.
A. A. It was we h1d to make bermuda for repairs.
I'VE picked up n whale now and then. but
they were not plentiful. but one day We discov-
s ssIa a s sTsne1 ot osr bow por e1 Sow or r Hoas T Snat:
were lowered. | was the harpooner OF the
rant";i in boat: az apd IT. the mate and w second . mate
the h%nrpoon. That woke him can tell you'll
both sleep mad and harpoon mad. He turned
on %pr Of f9 stri era came am b at Us sv With bs q rush:d In:
WITH lis Ilukes; H. cut Us square il two and
leg became fouled in the harDoon line: and 10
the water Mt about twenty Knots an hour. and
several feet below the surface: The line was
had cut deep into the flesh.
mdknew my end was not more than a minute
ing whale. My knife was In my belt. / got il
out. and aomehow-but mover know Just
line. the next second 1arpeared on the. sur.
face. popping. up in so sudden, and startling Q
MAJ ar ,nai iI ! oI no IT, scared E. II the q n mate 1;sh END his
side Il their, boat. 1t seems that lust as the
whale struck our boat and wrecked 1t. the
ster. and was being towed by it to the. wind
war, ward; and ! had come to the sSriase Just Hs
ter e" tPs ~ is az It T Ths ss sS, WAS nate Es'k Ra a'f pie Gssdi
came around after awhile. in time to see the
res! Of the lght With that whale; but unable to
AS the whale was tearing along with the
mates boat in tow he discovered, our vessel
lay XVII the e% source Sn% " Of al his Al t trou b,na i""' tuned
nnd rh9rgea ike = tornado upon 1t. He buried
times, kn"ckins of the clear to the
wooiend-. and starting II bad leak. While he
w"I tt tbs efn nI;Gss the Msaii nat ,or,s boat ah gGt ns AT:
head. and threw all his weight pron 1t as
backed the tort for their lives. Xtthat criti:
cal moment the Captain, with tho second
ana lso do it t. it ft the w" Whale ne T hTa a bS Sa%0 s IansS;
the great head Of the monster on the bone
10 momsntarily stun tie wSnis. He soon
boat. That bont being free. avoided the rush.
md then the whale made AGAIN for the mates
again and drew the whales attention from the
mate. WHO. being fast to the bowhead. could
not nSn1 I'm MS h0nt; ana ~ Was at the whais's
tho enraged leviatlan, after him again. and
the mate urged hlm toilet him cut the harpo9n
line and make their escape from the ugly
monster. hut tho CAPTAIN was rs mad as the
whale. because " his lost whale boat and his
badly. damaged. vessel. and swore that. he
would conquer the whale. or co down before
him with every man.
"Three different times tho Captains boat
drew tho whale away and saved the mate and
his crew. NJ tho fourth time the whale didn't
turn aside from hiS furious rush on the mate.
and ! thought our tate was sealed. With o
less Experienced and trIe.lIanded sailor than
our Captain It would have been scaled. too. In
n worry few seconds more. The whale charged
right upon us ana his giant fukes were In the
air, to ewnrpdown and crush US beneath their
mighty and !rrnsistibln sweep. but that gave
tho rlurky captain the chance he wanted.
He drove tho hand lance into the whale
rlcnr 10 its Selling. aud tho. monster fell
hark in tho water between the two boats.
neither one, escaping by m oreth han q yard, .The
Cautain's plunge with the hand lance had been
true to it's marx. Both boats backed away
from tho struggling whale. He dashed the sea
into team and whirled about n an aimless and
srnrt Of water that was red with blood, and .
lusty shout, went IN from II score Of throats.