The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-18
A PERILOUS DART.

| Arctic Circle 10 cape EOrn. In form he is
not so symmetrical as his brother, the
| sulphur bottom, nor as stately as his first
| cousin, the cachalot. He is short and thick.
and when he finds a good feedng-ground
where he is not annoyed by his pursuers,
he takes on a sureifuity of blubber that
| gives him Il thoroughly unctuous look.
Although nomadic in their habits, the
humpbacks resort in large numbers to GER
tain favorite localities during the breeding
season. There the young are produced, and
| the callow rorquals are taught how to
gather their food when they are weaned.
They receive practical lessons in the art Of
| approaching their prey, and long before
they have outgrown their calfhood have
learned to scoop in masses OF pteIopoda
| and roll them about on their enormous
| tongues with true wha lish gusto.
| The west coast of A frica is much fire.
| qucnted by humpbacks. In the lagoOns of
| the Gulf of Guinea. and near the mouths of
rivers as far south as Walyisch Bay, they
! are to be met in great droves during the
| breeding season. Here. too. c0ngregate the
American whaleships; and for several
| months in each year the coast is as we'll
| patrolled by their boats as it used to be
! when by the terms of the Ashburton treaty,
| the United States and Great Britain main
| tanned a squadron in those water to sup
| press the slave trade.
| When whales are plenty the work of the
| whaleman is hard enough; but when they
! are scarce It is harder still. The whaleman
! is compelled to rise a ocock in the morn
| Ing, and after hasty break asst take to the
! boats, there 10 remain until or s o'clock in
| the evening, pulling the oars or cruising
| about beneath q broilng sun.
One whaling season 10 particular which |
| have now in mind had not been as good as
| usual. The whales, which had at first been
numerous, appeared suddenly to nave van
! ished. Most of the captains in the fleet
| thought they had gone altogether, and grad
ually got under way and stood for the Cape
! de Verdes, or squared their yards for ST.
| Helena.
| Our skipper however. determined to hold
| on for another week, as we had arrived late
on the ground aud had taken but little oil.
| One morning the boats left the SHIP at
anchor as usual and cruised all day The
| sun was setting in the west, and the other
| boats were heading toward the ship. which
was in shore and about three miles distant.
A light breeze was blowing off the land, and
| with the sheet Of our big lugsaii Stacked off,
| we were running free on course that would
! take us well to leeward of the ship.
eve will run down until we get abreast
| Of the shiP, and then make couple Of short
tacks and go aboard" said the mate.
The day had been even warmer than
usual, and we were all tired with pulling.
| Portuguese Joe" WAS curled up in the line
| tub fast asleep, aud Harry. the midship
| oarsman, and the bOat-steerer, were en-
| gagged in an animated discussion as to the
reason why the whales had left the ground
so early in the season. Being the youngest
| and ishtest of the crew pulled the stroke
| oar, and as | sat next 10 the mate was en-
tertained by him with tales of adventure.
He was just spinning yarn about a
! fight which he had once with sperm whale
! when he was third mate OF the Rainbow.
4 o m Ct Stapa nf the story
| he was interrupted by Tom, the bow oars
man, who was standing on the forward
thwart with one arm around the mast keep
ing lookout. Tom called out: There she
| bloWsw,
Instantly all hands sprang up.
where is it, Tomp" called the mate.
pretty near dead ahead. sir.
Two or three miles away we could dis
tiDguish not ono but half dozen spouts.
There's a school of 'em p said the mate.
humpDacks turned up before the suns set
There he breaches!" he shouted. "Oh!
what a beautyl Pull, boys. pull! i"
He leaned forward. his eyes distended
and his face all aglow with excitement;
while we, catching some of his enthusiasm,
bent to our oars. causing the boat to make
rapid progress.
THE old man wants you TO come aboard,
sir" said Silva, the boat-steerer. Hes
hoisted the ensign al the mzzenpeak."
''He has? You're blind. Silva, man; [
can't see it!' The mate looked steadfastly
in the opposite direction. Give way, my
heartes! That's the pace; you're making
her walk now"
glanced over my left shoulder toward
the ship. The recall signal certainly was
up. The captain had given orders not to
strike whale when away from the ship if
the sun was less than an hour high. But
one might as we'll try to call off hounds
when in full cry as 10 stop the mate when
whale was in sight.
Take in your oars, boysi Out paddles
Now then. paddle strong and steady. There
they are lObtailing. These chaps are hav-
ing regular picnic; they are just waiting
for us amt they?"
As We turned on the thwarts after un-
shipping our oars, and dipped the paddles
in the water, wonderful sight met our
eyes. The sun was just nearing the edge of
the horizon. and as far as we could see In
the warm soft light Of the declining day
there was a succession of clouds Of vapory
spray ascending from what seemed a myriad
OF whales. From some the spouts rose to a
height of twenty feet or more.
This was the background of the picture.
Directly before Us. then not more than a
quarter of a mile away. was group OF per-
haps d3Zen humpbacks of the largest size.
engaged in those cetacean gambOls in
which they notwithstanding. rolling and
lobtaiing.
Now. boys, said the mate in a low earn
est voice. Il want you all 10 work lively and
steady when we go into that gam OF whales.
There'll have TO be sharp work. Tom, you
and Harry be ready TO unstep the mast and
get the sail In, aud Walter. you help Joe to
pass 'em along and stow 'em snug. Silva.
do you see that big fellow there, lobtaiing?
He's an eighty-barIel whale; do you see
him?"
Yes, sir
well, Pm going to put you right under
his HuLp9 and | n strife him
when he's we'll out of the water. Remem-
Der, you've got 10 dart up. not down."
BY this time the big fellow" as the mate
called him. WAS not more than two boats
lengths away. More than third of his
immense body was out Gf the water; aud as
he swept his enormous 1ukes FROM side to
side. he churned the sea into foam until it
was white az milk
Take in your sail; down with the mastW
whispered The mate. stand up. Silva T.
Another Instant, and we were in the
midst of the foam.
Give it to him, Silva!" the mate yelled
this time. Work sharp. men; in with
that sail. it's trailing overheard; we'll be
swamped; take care, there, Silva. you'll be
overheard"
The next few seconds Of time are IN
descrlbable. The great fukes ofthe whale.
which had been above our heads when he
felt the iron, fell with a mighty crash, just
clearing the gunwale Of the boat, and sent
torrent of water over us that nearly filled
the fral craft
Then the line went through the chocks at
the head OF the boat; and before the mate
could get turn about the loggerhead, q
blue cloud OF smoke arising from the tub
told of the fearful velocity with which it
was being taken out.
Finally turn was had aud we felt our
selves going through the water at a rapid
rate.
"Come aft, Silva, and take steering oar.
That was the most beautiful dart ever saw
in my life I've been whaling twenty-five
years and never saw anything TO beat it.
But how white you look, mani
The mate handed Silva the oar. and
started forward
II guess you'd look white, Mr.. Hoyt."
was the reply. ssif you'd seen old Death