Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-09-01
SW0RDFISHING.
AN EXHILARATING But PERIL
Gus OCCUPATIONS.
The Fearless Fish Is HarpOOned and
Then Followed to His Death In
Small Boat Turning on
His Pursucrs.
~ wORDFIsHING is wonderfully

I y WORDflSHlNG rs wonderfully
~ exhilarating sport, like hunt
~ ing bear excellent and health
full jus so long rs "the bar
don't hunt you Forth from the
wide harbor of gray old Stonington
on the Long Island Sound twice and
thrice week speed little flock Of
smacks and sailboats, bending east
ward, making for the swordfsh grounds
in the ocean far beyond Block Island.
From the walled-in little basin, "
within the granite breakwater at New
Shoreham village, on the lonely island,
sails as often another fleet OF doughty
and eager swordfshermen. Swordfsh
are very plentiful and the world has
lately learned to prize their flesh.
There is money is 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 of the Gulf Stream,
that the fisherman go to do battle with
the swordfsh.
But it is not by any means life
altogether of ease and inactivity, cruis-
ing for swordfsh. The great gime
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 try
ing, more intrepid, not even that of
hunting the great right whale or send
gpilots in a storm to incoming liners.
These rough and ready, bare armed,
resolute, tanned, marine redmen
cruise not for sport in the first place,
but for spoils and ready lucre, and
every palpitating, armed leviathan
they heave aboard their vessel means
to them so many pounds Of swordfsh
cut up into so many steaks at eight to
ten cents 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 fascin-
ating work to take them. Almost
every one knows that far out on the
bowsprit of every sword fisherman
there is n little open iron banded "pul-
pit, =" where the harpooner, harpoon in
hand, as his craft rides up to the side
of his fearless game, which scorns to
flee or turn aside from any foe that
assails him; that the hsrpoon is hurled
into his side, or that when the mon
ster, furious with pain and rage,
bounds away, with a floating keg at
tached to the iron dart by fathoms Of
rope. or plunges into the northern
most course Of the ocean The vessel
sails after him, like tireless hound on
the trail of fox, and the marine
hunters nave only to keep sight Of him
until he has exhausted himself with
his mad rushes through the seas.
When the time comes, however it
may. be in half An hour, OF it may be
after twice that time for the plucky
sportsman to deal the finishing stroke
to the doughty warrior, then, if ever,
hunter and game meet on fairly even
terms in a valiant tug-o'wsr.
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. It
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 a crushing blow upon
his head. But if the big fellow is
only feinting, there is likely to be
trouble. Sulkily and warily, but mo-
tionless, he notes the harpooner's adj
vance, and when the latter has
driven his boat to q point not
half dozen rods away,
all OF sudden the great fish arouses
himself, shakes the lethargy out Of his
frame and the brine ont Of his glim-
mering eyes, measures the place Of his
foe for an instant, then rushes upon
him like a Nhirlwind. Rarely ever
does he miss his drive, and tho daunt-
less warrior, with swift and sinewy
skill and nervous sweep OF paddles, IS
impotent to eyade it. The fish cleaves
the waves with the speed and fury OF
q war horse, a sudden dip beneath the
waves, 10 he has cones; but the next
instant the oarsman, leaping into the
stern of his craft, hears great rush
of waters, as OF submarine volcano
beneath him, and with the sound Of
ripping boat timbers, that part with
the fragility of paper, long, slender,
brown black, hairy rapier IS driven
through the cookie she'll from side to
side as if the lance OF n gallOping Cos
sack had cleft it. Lucky il is, indeed,
for the boatman that he, too, may not
be in line with the irresistible straight
thrust, for if he is 50 the sharp slender
bone sabre will split him, also, as
swiftly and easily as cook skewers a
chicken. Instances are not wanting
in which boatMan has had both his
legs speared through by the sword Of
q furievs swordish and himself firmly