The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-29

pleasures there will be witnessing ''drive
O. ealing whales" which you are almost GER
tain 60 do, il your visit to the islands hap
pen in May or June.
The Peterhead and other whaling ships
formerly completed their crews at Ler wick,
and these times were always periods of
great activity. OF late years Shetland's in
terest in whaling has been principally con-
fined to driving she monsters ashore. This
exciting work is often tremendously profit
able. In 1S45 great shoai of 1,540 "ca'-
ing" whales were driven ashore in Quendale
Bay, the southernmost bay OF Shetland, ly-
ing between Sumberg and fitful Heads; and
In June, two years ago. shoal Of several
hundred was successfully landed on the east
coast.
Until quite recently these shore whalers
were lily requited for their captures. The
financially omniverous landlord, called the
laird" here, true to his octopus instincts,
claimed the right, up TO 1899, to tax the
poor Shetlanders one-half of the entire pro-
oeeds of all whales driven into shoal water
opposite, or upon the shores of, their do
mains; "a sort of riparian right on the
Almighty for what was sent to save man
from starvation on account OF rents and
other burdens imposed by the laird him
self, u an old Shetlander explained to me.
AS the value of the blubber will average
$50 per ton, the ''laird" often thus secured
from 81, 900 to IS, 900 as his fright" in a
single catch. From 1889 to 1888 the
"lairdsn were considerate enough to rob the
whalers Of but one-third. In September of
that year the claim was resisted in the
courts; the whalers won their cause; aud
the ''lairdsn have since been compelled to
content themselves with the meager enjoy
ment of witnessing rather than profiting by
the hazardous work.
When drove of "ca'ingn whales appear
on the coast, the news spreads like oil drops
on marble. AS the whole town of st. Ives,
Cornwall, goes mad when a shoal of pilch-
ers is sighted, 80 does every live Shetlander
desert every other vocation, even to a we'd
ding, TO join in the drive A rush is
made by the men for the boats, while
women and children wildly collect guns,
ammunition, harpoons, scythes, lances,
knives and even bags OF stones, indeed, any
thing portable which may assist in the
hoped for destruction.
The whalers make all haste and splendid
cunning in getting between the whales and
the open sea. Their feet of all manner of
craft then gradually closes in upon the
pack" or drove directing by the splen-
did maneuvers OF the different boats the
course Of the whales to a shallow bay. So
expert are these Shetland whalers In driving
that a shoal Of whales is seldom lost, IL time
is given for forming the drive well out
side the drove" II the whales once enter
the chosen bay their pursuers come 10 close
quarters, and then the conflict begins
Finding the water becoming shallow, the
terrified whales ondeavor 10 make for the
open sea. but are met at every point bY a
perfect wall Of boats, altogether filled with
hundreds and sometimes thousands OF men,
seemingly desperate In their efforts al cap
turo and the bowling, shouting, screaming,
lashing Of the water, discharging Of fire.
arms, stons-tbrowing and rushing 70 and
fro Of the equally desperate whales, form al
exciting a scene as one ever witnessed out
side = genuine Geld Of battle Occasionally a
few break through the line and escape. AZ
a rule the school 10 doomed. Once driven