The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-30

after casting a s~4<r. searching glance ~
the crew. wro were stzndilg abo1t watch
Ing hir1. ne sa13esaiy turned % ths raa-@
ard 18th = merry twinkle IL RS eyes ex-
Claimed.
We'll. mate. where are ~. zosnx -
steer FOR sow7 $zns1ekst's sz1k. for
here Ne are right over Of Marin Jackets
Farsez."
Another whsseman's yarn. which many
have doubtless heard before, r about ~.
EastBchet tsoy. who after coming Rome
from 4 three ye3rs' Whaling voyage, ard
anxious 20 explain % his aged sran8-nossa-
er the process 81 hsrpoonfng a whale. pro-
cesFsed 20 yfs a fork 20 ere Old tady's darn
Ing cotton. sTd after de1-roas1y s:rfk-
Ing = into rae eats back. yelled, as TIE
latter rushed nasdiy through ire window:
There she breaehesi Pay ont, granny
Pay o1t more lineY'
Fer t7e pgrpo~s % enabling re reader
- gain a ciear insight and obtain thor
ough understanding concerning IN. vsri-
Gus Incidents and details % TernsrkA5le
sperm whaling voyages q IRE past. i =
necessary 20 describe n brief the life and
habits o. TIRE whale and give short
sketch Of The manner ~ DTS pursuit aud
captura
The sperm Whale.
The sperm whale. ike all ths rest %
the vErtous so~ei - Of cetscsars. Is = man
mai: the ruai-s are termed balis. and the
females. which bear one calf yearly. cows.
They are found IN every part OF The globe.
fr@qusnflDg alike re frozen waters % tns
Northern and Southern .eas ard the frop-
teal ATTITUDES Of the Atlantic. Pacific ard
1ndizn oceans. They ar. migratory II their
habits. often making long passages from
one cream % another. THIS fact has long
been established beyond 6oubt. for whales
thai hae been str-5ck IN the Atlantic have
Afterwards been captured IN the Pacific
o. Indian oceans. Harpoons. which ars
always stamped wits the vessels name.
have be-n found IN the carcass. testify
Ing that no whales had rounded Cape
Horn or the Cape OF Good Hope, as tns
case might BE-. On these long passages.
or when bound 10 some faVorite feeding
ground. they invsr.a bly, steer a course ss
straight and true as any steamer. never
deyiating from Il unless disturbed or an
uoyed by their enemies.
The large, old males usually 'og along
singiy or by two and tarees together, the
COWS and calves and the young bulls tray-
ei In shoals or schools. Some old stagers
on ths outside generally acting as leaders.
These shoals often number many hum
dreds OF whales. and on a regular whal
ms ground where food is plentiful. two
and three different shoals, apart from
each other, may be observed, the ocean
seeming fairly alive with them. Their food
consists OF squid species OF cuttlefish
or octopus, which they take In By suction.
tearing of the long arms OF their prey
piece by piece with the huge lower Jaw
They also live on minute marine animal
culae which abounds III certain parts OF
the ocean in such quantities as to turn
the water a dark, reddish color. When this
whale feed" f. observed. whalemen keep
an extra sharp lookout. for sperm whales
are sure TO assemble on these favor1te
grounds. where they ieisurely propel along,
and. dropping the lower jaw-sn invariahis
habit when feedtng-suck in the much
relishsd food.
The sperm whales head ~ OF enormous
size. entirely square I'm front, forming a
Buckingham formidable enough TO sink
any ordinary wooden vessel Only two In
stances are on record, however, I'm the
whole whaling history where an infuriated
Sperm whale has attacked and sunk a
whsier.
Tie long lower Jaw is lined on both
sides with strong ivory teeth. which in
large specimens often measure ten and
twelve inches in length. and are well
rounded at the butt end The young bulls
frequently nga, desperately among them
selves which affords n novel spectacle
WHEN witnessed at a safe distance. Ris~
Ing bodily out OF the water they rush
upon each other ia blind fury. clapping
and eiashing their jaws together with such
violence as 10 often break or dslocats
them. We sometimes captured an old ball
whose jaw had been fractured in his
youth. and which had grown twisted out
OF al shape and contained a number of
damaged and broken teeth Such jaws
were always greatly valued as curlos.
Considering the enormous size of the
catacean. u Is rema rkable how extremely
diminutive are his eyes which. however
are very keen OF sight As they are To-
Gated on either side OF tho bulky head he
is enabled 20 see sideways only. anything
approaching him dIreclly ahead or from
behind be Is unable 10 perceive. unless Civ
ing his whole body sudden swerye. The
earhoies lying hack OF the head are also
very small. but nevertheless render him
very acute Of hearing. the slightest noise
reaching him from long distance. For
this reason. IN 4 calm. when \ boat de-
slres 20 strike a whale. thu crew. seated
on the gunwalss. swiftly riy their short
paddles Indian fashion. as the noise O.
ca~ionef hy oars would Immediately at
tract his attention. causing him 20 Se of
In hurry. n - barely imaginable -
the uninlua,ed how fast these monsters
~ the deen can speed along when occa-
eion demands. \ steamer could rot keep
~ with ther1 The 1ukes OF the powerful
tai sre OF great width. and are not only
a dangerous weapon for defense. but en-
able tho whale 20 propel himself alorg At
Incredible speed. often towing two boats
that has fastened 20 him simultaneously.
Tho Yield I'm OF.
Large. on sperm whales sometimes
measure eighty ans eighiv-fivs feet IN
length From sixty 20 seventy feet Is he
a. 49, q.
barrel. o. oil. They attsin = very old age.
often reaching over no years. This has
bean conc'usivety proven, sniiqustei hsr-
poems. bearing the name 81 some ancient
vessel of the last century. having been
en-. cut az dead whales biuhbs- TTa> sub
stance known IS "snermaceti." from whicl
the enc transparent cau6les arc manu-
facturet. is contained n a large case" on
the sop - ths sperm whales head. and
constitutes his brains. ~ 20 speak. II "a
white fattish. felly-like matter, sur
rounded WITH oil iimnA ant clear a. crys-
tai The oil from ths 'csss" and rest %
the head or "3unk" as = O. called by
whaieuen. averages oue-thirf ~ me total
amount yielded hy a whale. The greatest
quantity % ell ever rrocurrd from sperm
whale MAS is5 barrels and Some od3 gall
Ions ne shown hy the whaling records pre-
served az the New Bedford. Mass. custom
house This whale VAS captured by tia
iftle bark Wave. q New Bedford \
sperm whale Welding 80 barrels and up-
wSF,1s wnw always considered good
catch. The COWS never make one-haif ss
mitch. \ barrel a. OF contains 7tts gai-
ions The minimum price during my
whaling career Was S.. though ] have seen
the -eB-a as high "a 80 and odd per tar
rel tn IRE raiuy DAYS ~ wore.
Ambsrxv3s IS Substance discharged 81
times ~ ak SPERM whales. aad found