The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-12-07

EXPERIENCES OF A MAN WHO WENT
OUT WITH A CANOE FLEET.
Literally Leaping Over the Waves. -In-
hated Bags which Act as Drags Upon
| the wounded Leviathans--Huntcrss Skill
cd In Endurance.


cd In Endurance.
On the northwestern coast OF Washing
ton live the remnant of a tribe Of Indians
who are great sea hunters, masters of the
whale. A writer in the San Francisco Bull
letin thus tells of hunt in which he was
nervous participant:
Suddenly half dozen canoes were pushed
of, although there was n heavy swell, and
the water was breaking in a threatening
manner on the beach. The weapon en-
ployed in whale hunting consists OF long
barbed spear. The body is made Of wood
and Is perhaps Is feet in length. IL Is SO
made that the moment the sharp, lancelike
barb enters the thick skin Of the whale the
wood becomes detached, but the barb stays
deeply imbedded in the harpooned fish, at
tached to the boat bv a small line. There
are in each canoe several of these spears
and number of dog seal skins inflated
with air, which are made fast to the line
whose end is again fast 20 the lance Thus,
when whale is struck and goes down, he
has to carry with him this inflated bag
The Indians also had shorter spears, which
are employed at closer quarters.
AT the time indicated the big game was
several miles out to sea, but there were
seven stalwart Siwashes in each canoe dip
ping their oars in the water with the
rhythm of machinery, and it was not long
before the little fleet lay directly in .the
course of the leviathans They formed a
horseshoe, with the ends flaring toward the
| fish. In every bow there stood a spears
man with lance partially upraised, whose
rigid form, tense, strained, expectant,
seemed carved. Every paddle except that
- 81,
ready TO descend with instant precision
md send the light craft literally leaping
| over the waves.
Thus tho Indians sat for Is minutes.
| Finally in moment a monster humpback
whale broke through the water 100 yards
| TO the right and further seaward. A mo-
ment more and a second whale spouted a
stream skyward not so feet from the canoe
next the cne in which i SAT, an excited and
somewhat frightened observer. In absolute
| silence the two canoes on either side of the
| fish slipped over the water toward the un-
suspecting game, and in another second the
| spear from one of them shot through the
| air, hurled by giant Indian. Ii was well
| aimed and struck the whale hard and deep,
| burying the lance in its side. Swifter than
| thought the wounded monster struck the
| water with his fukes, breaking into small
| pieces the long shaft of wood, and sinking
| Kent the two big bladders skimming over
| the water for a moment and then out Of
| sight downward.
| Amateur oarsmen or professionals who
| think they can propel their racing boats
| should have seen the canoes literally fly
| after that wounded humpback. Every stiff
| paddle threatened to break, and the mus
eles stood out across the naked breasts and
| barred arms of the hunters as they shot
along. After a little one after another
| dropped behind. and they were strung out
over quite distance This was in order to
| f'cover'' as much water as possible, for it
| was impossible to tell where the wounded
| whale would rise TO spout. But he did not
| long remain below, and before he reached
| the surface the inflated skin came up and
told somewhere near the point of his reap
| pearance
| When the big, black, shining skin showed
| above the water, there were two canoes
near enough to sink each a short shaft into
| its exposure. AS the wounded monster
felt the incision he again disappeared, but
| he had six skins to drag down instead OF
| two this time, and the blood which spurted
| from his sides, coloring the water for
! quite distance, told how well the native
muscle and skill had co-operated.
Again the Indians raced over the water,
| but this time the whale remained longer
| under and went farther He had out trav-
tled the hunters, and despite their frantic
| efforts sank again before they came near
him. But he evidently did not like the
load of air he took bottomward, for he soon
| came up. Fortune favored the natives, for
| still another lance, to whose line wero
4 oh ina az ryo1i Mt r, h al
| The furious fish now failed TO sound and
as the canoes came up and circled about
| his great tail came down, catching one,
| breaking it :nto pieces, in some unaccount-
able way sending fragment into the side
Of one Indian and breaking the arm of an
other But 1t was evident that the battle
was nearly done, for the water was literal
| " incarnadned with the life fow of the
whale, and as spear after spear found its
| way into his sides and back his efforts to
| escape ceased altogether. Finally. with n
| last attempt to wreak further vengeance
| on his pursu=rs. the big (ish lay dead on the
| water.
| In the excitement OF the pursuit and the
| battle no attention had been paid to the
| flight of time nor the direction of the chase.
| We were out of sight of land. and the sun
was trailing splendid pathway across the
| ocean down toward the rim of the sky. The
| hunters were skilled in endurance and thor
bughly acquainted with the ocean. They
| made their lines all fast TO the whale, and
| some of them slept while others watched.
| The following morning before day dawn
| the big light at Tatoosh island was seen.
| Ind as day came on the bold promontory of
| the coast was in view.
The tide sets in shore OF the mouth Of
| the outlet TO Puget sound. breeze had
| sprung up, aad with muttonleg sails which
| the Indian always carries In his canoe,
aided by their paddles. our little feet APP
| preached the shore 10 miles north from its
| point of departure. In the afternoon the
whale was anchored at high tide, and when
Tho oopsn reccded the natives set IN work