The Red Cloud chief., 1894-02-09
A Won an Catches aud Kills a SIX Foot

A wom,n Catches and Kill, a si,-roo,
Sturgeon.
A few weeks ago tho crew of the
sealing schooner Oscar had "a lively
experience oil C~layoquot u little place
on Vancouver island. Ono seal had
been caught early in tho morning,
and ut about 10 o'clock the hunter in
II OF the boats noticed two heads
some twenty yards in front OF him.
The fog partly obscured objects at
any distance, and tho hunter thought
the heads were those of seal. lie shot
II the discharge was followed by a
shrek OF agony from one Of tho ami
mails, which at once mado for tho
boat Tho men then became aware
that II large female walrus wounded
and Infatuated. was after them. She
rose out OF the water. and grasping
tho side OF the boat with her powor-
full tusks. tried to ovcrturn it. Thoro
was Il fight of several minutes, tho
men ~endeavoring to beat tho walrus
with oar blades and paddles. Finally
a shot through tho head killed her.
and she was towed back to the schoon-
er as tho great prize OF the season.
Whales are u common sight of
Cape Flattery. and now and then a
few will find their way into Puget
Sound. Not long ago u school OF ten
or twelve appeared in tho Tacoma
harbor. and amused tho people OF tho
city by thor gambols in tho water.
Tho whale that One here is not tho
common Greenland whale. but tho
California gray whale. or linback. Its
length varies from twenty-five to
thirty feet. Ono OF the largest fish
found in these waters is tho sturgeon.
which runs up tho Columbia and the
other rivers of Washington. Mrs.
Andrews was fishing for porgics.
when she saw near by q siX-foot
sturgeon stranded upon tho sand. and
making furious attempts TO reach
deep water. Mrs. Andrews is a small
woman but full of courage, 81. sciz-
ing II club she went for tho sturgeon
and pounded 1t into insonsibility.
Then she called her husband. who cut
1t up into strips and dried It's flesh.
% An Indian fishing In the Columbia
" CoiuiOh ICCtIblL CuuShl u plS
shark. Tho Indian had u seine. one
end Of which was anchored on tho
shore. AS he was towing tho outer
end around a circle he felt u strong
jerk on tho net lie promptly pulled
for the shore, and upon drawing the
net in found that II huge shark was
iloundering in tho meshos. AT first
the Indian was inclined to let 60 OF
the net and cut it and let tho monster
escape, but his sportsman's instinct
prevailed. and he decided 10 try 10
bring the fellow to land. Fastening
the anchored end even moro firmly he
proceeded slowly to draw up on tho
beach the other end. As tho shark
came into the shallow water it strug-
gled moro and more furiously to get
out into the deep channel. Several
times it looked us il the shark
would be tho victor in tho fight. but
the Indian hitched tho net ropes
around q young tree aud kept every
inch that he gained.
Whenever tho shark would become
quiet for a moment tho man would
pull in Il few more feet Of the net
At last the shark was where the In
dian could wade in and thrust "a long
knife into its vitais. The fish seemed
but very little disturbed by the wounds
il received. and the Indian must have
stabbed it in fifty different places be.
fore IL began TO show signs OF yield
ing. After about two hours Of
struggling, during which the water
for yards around became red with
blood, tho shark yielded to fate. and
was drawn on the beach. When
measured it was found to be sixteen
feet long. and its weight was l, 800
pounds. A seal n II sturgeon.
partly digcsted, were in tho stomach.
The Indians from tho vicinity eagerly
seized upon tho teeth. which they uso
in making necklaces.