Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-04-29
SIBERIAN HUNTERS.
How Whales Are Caught by Natives
Reindeer skins Used as Floaters.

now NhaieS are tauEht by Natives -
Reindeer skins Used as Floaters.
Captain E. J. Clifford, OF the whal-
ing bark Triton. relates the particulars
of an interesting whale hunt ofwhich
he was a witness while lying at an
Choir in small bay on the east coast.
The natives of that region are people
of a low grade of intelligence.
their chief employment being the
chase. and this is confined chiefly to
the pursuit and capture of inhabitants
Of the Arctic waters that wash the
Siberian coast.
While ignorant of all the attributes
Of what we are pleased to call ciyiliz-
alton, these people have become ex-
perts in the vocation that furnishes
them with the necessaries of life, and
their manner Of capturing the whale
might prove profitable study to
masters of the whaling fleet which
annually visits those waters. The
story is told by Captain Clifford as
follows:
I'VE had been lying at anchor for
several days in a small and almost
land-loeked bay, and had done some
little trading with the inhabitants
Of a native village situated about half
mile inland. One morning Just at
daybreak all hands were awakened by
a great hubbub on the shore, the
cause of which was soon ascertained
to be the presence of a school of sperm
whales in the ofling three or four
miles outside the entrance of the
harbor. In an incredibly short space
of time ten canoes, each containing
from six to eight natives, put off from
the beach and made straight out to-
ward where an occasional jet of water
marked the spot where the big fell
lows We're sporting.
II was good deal puzzled 10 know
how those fellows were going to cap
ture one Of those huge animals. which
is by no means an easy prey to the
best trained boats crew, supplied as
they are with all tho modern applian-
ces. Consequently watched their
movements with no little interest.
The boats kept close together and
approached the school with a great
amount of caution. When within
about 800 yards of the nearest whale,
the canoes separated, and as the big
fellow came up TO blow, they rapidly
closed in from three sides al once
The whale was BY this time lazily
rolling in the trough of the sea, APP
parently unaware of the approach Of
his enemies. So well timed was the
approach of the canoes that they were
all within easy reach Of the whale
when the leader gave the signal 10
throw the harpoons. In a moment
at least thirty harpoons were sticking
from the shiny back Of the whale and
the canoes shot back out Of reach OF
the big flukes in less time than it
takes to tell it.
.'And here comes the strange part
I Of the performance. Attached 20 each
harpoon was about 200 feet of line
and on the end Of each line were
reindeer skins inflated with air. In
| one or two instances casks were at
I tached to the lines. You can imagine
the situation. Here was the whale with
I enough buoy attached to him to float
a ship, and when he attempted to
sound he would be brought to the
surface again only TO receive u shower
/ Of hand-lances from the canoes The
sport did not last long, and four hours
/ from the time the canoes left the
/ beach they towed the whale in and
men and women were at work cutting
him up.