The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1896-06-11
PHOTOGRAPHING / WHALE.


one morning with the determination
of being photographed, l really can
not say; but the picture was certain
Iv taken.
Living in the neighborhood the
whale was probably familiar with the
steamer that plowed daily through its
dlning-room and if it was at all an
observing whale, it must have noticed
on the morning in question an un-
usual commotlon on the deck of the
steamer, and this is what it saw. The
passengers were crowding about the
rail, and on the upper deck stood
man and a little girl, the former hold
ing a square, black box into which he
looked earnestly. And if the whale
had come little nearer this is what
he might have heard:
''Will he look pleasant ?" asked the
little girl of her companion.
81 hope So" he replied, glancing
rapidly from the camera to the whale
that was then swimming few hundred
feet away.
The passengers had first observed it
mile or more distant, when the little
girl said it was dancing on its tail.
1t had really leaped out of the water,
and for few seconds exposed almost
its entire back-most astonishing
spectacle-and then had fallen back
into the sea with laundering crash.
Soon it came to the surface again, and
shooting a cloud of vapor into the air
that slowly foated away, at intervals
disappeared and reappeared until it
finally came alongside the steamer,
swimming along within short dis
tance. It was then that the fortunate
possessor of the camera secureda good
position near the rail, and waited, as
his little companion had said, for the
whale to 'look pleasant" Looking
pleasant in this instance, meant for
the whale to show large portion of
its body above the water. It was now
swimming just below the surface, its
huge black form, sixty or seventy
feet in length, distinctly visible. pro-
PEELED by the undulating movemen mt of
the tail. Suddenly it rose, showing
just the portion around the blow
holes, and with loud puff the hot
breath burst into the air, was con-
densed and in little cloud drifted
away.
"Didn't he look pleasant" asked
the little girl, earnestly.
"Not quite pleasant enough" said
the photographer, as he peered into
the tiny window of the camera that
reflected the sea in brilliant tints. 81
could catch the spout, but want tt
wait until he throws his entire heat
out of water and looks really pleasan
before [ touch the button"
It was an exciting moment, a.
never, SO far as known, had living
whale, in the open ocean, posed before
a camera, or photographer seen 81
huge an animal obligingly swim
along, allowing its picture to b.
taken.
"It's a tame whale, isn't it?" sait
the little girl, as the whale gradual,
came nearer.
He certainly does not seem YER
timid, replied her companion; and a
he spoke, puff! came the spouting lik
the escape of steam, the vapor actuall
, drifting aboard the steamer into tn
faces of the passengers.
The whale was now so near tina
the barnacles upon its back could b
seen, and one man was sure that
saw its eye. Suddenly 1t sank, an
all that could be seen in the little viii
dow was the dancing waves and th
white sails of myriads of velellas ths
, covered the surface, scuddlng alon
before the fresh trade wind. Thel
3. without warning, the creature as SUI
E denly rose again, showing large art
| of its back, sending at the same tim
: cloud of misty vapor into the al
a as its top or dorsal fin appeared. tt
: photographer saw it in the little vii
a dow, and evidently thinking that Il
/ whale looked as pleasant as he in 6
probability would, touched the bu
e ton, and, so far as is known, took t