The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-09-15
PERlLOUS WORK THAT'S FUN.
Catching the Swordfsh for New Eng
land Markets.


fishing is wonderfully exhlarating sport,
like hunting bear - excellent and
healthful just SO long as "the bar don't
hunt you" Forth from the wide har-
Dor of gray old Stonington on the
Sound twice and thrice a week speed a
| little flock of smacks and saiboats,
bending eastward, making for the
swordfish grounds in the ocean far
beyond Block Island. From the
walled-in little "basin" within the
granite breakwater at New Shoreham
village, on the lonesome island, sails as
often another fleet Of doughty and
eager swordhshermen. Swordhsh are
very plentiful, and the world has lately
learned to prize their flesh. There is
money in the chase of that solitary
prowler Of the sea who wears his sabre
in his snout. 1t is fifteen or twenty
miles southeast Of Block Island on the
hither edge or the Gulf Stream, that
the fishermen go TO do battle with the
swordfsh. 1t is not difficult to find
him. He is always coasting there un-
weariedly, back and forth on the tepid
waters of the great stream, hunting all
sorts of fish in shoals, and even water
fowl at times, all Of which he rips to
pieces with his sword exactly as a
woodsman deals slanting blows with his
ak and a trooper with his sabre. All
living things that swim are grist to his
mill. He is afraid of none. He carries
his black Colors aloft with the boldness
Of any pirate-his black fin, which
Sits the surface of the ocean as he
glides along as the coulter of plow
cuts the greensward.
This is not by any means a life alto
gether OF ease and inactivity, cruising
for swordfish. The great game fish are
plentiful, indeed, and when the sport is
on there is stress of work and thrilling
adventure, than which there is none
more intense, more trying, more
intrepid, not even that of hunting the
great right whale or sending pilots in
storm to incoming liners. These rough
and ready, bare-armed, resolute, sun.
tanned, marine redmen cruise not for
sport in the first place but for spoils
and ready lucre, and every palpitating,
armed levisthan they have aboard their
vessel means to them SO many pounds
of swordfsh cut UP into so many steaks
at eight to ten cents a pound. The
dollar mark is tagged to every fish.
Almost every one knows how sword
fish are taken, and that it is arduous
and perilsome, but desperately fascinat-
| ing work to take them. Almost every
one knows that far out on the bowsprlt
of every sword fisherman there is a
little open iron-banded pulpit" where
the harpooner, harpoon in hand, as his
craft rides up to the side of his fearless
game, which scorns to fee or turn
aside from any foe that assais him
that the harpoon is hurled into his side
or that then the monster, furious with
pain and rage, bounds away, with a
floating keg attached to the iron dart
by fathoms of rope, or plunges into the
northernmost course of the ocean. The
vessel sails after him, like a tireless
hound on the trail of a fox, and the
marine hunters have only to keep sight
of him until he has exhausted himself
with his mad rushes through the seas.
When the time comes, however-in
may be half an hour, or it may be
in twice that time-for the plucky
spearman to deal the finishing stroke
to the doughty warrior, then, If ever,
hunter and game meet on fairly even
terms in valiant tug-o-war.
The harpooner quits the vessel in a
yawl, and with axe, or club, or spear
pulls his frail craft over the rough
waves to the side Of the dying fish. 1t
may be the moribund giant is breath
less and really exhausted, and, if so,
the harpooner has only to draw up
where he has measured his bulky
length upon the surface of the ocean,
plunge his sharp spear into his heart
or brain, or deal crushing blow upon
his head. But if the big fellow is only
feinting, there is likely to be trouble.
Sulkily and warily, but motionless, he
notes the harpoonerss advance, and
when the latter has driven his boat to
point not half dozen rods away, all
of a sudden the great fish arouses him.
self, shakes the lethargy out of his
frame and the brine out of his glimmer-
ing eyes, measures the place of his foe
TOR an instant, then rushes upon him
like whirwind. Rarely does he ever
miss his drive, and the dauntless war
rlor with swift and snewy skill and
nervous sweep of paddles, is impotent
to eyade it. The fish cleaves the waves
with the speed and fury of war horse
a sudden dip beneath the waves, 10 I
he has gone but the next instant the
oarsmen, leaping into the stern of his
craft, hears great rush of waters, as of
a submarine volcano beneath him, and
with the sound Of ripping boat timbers,
that part with the fragility OF paper, a
long, slender, brown black, hairy rapier
I 4AGNW l. L