The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-12-05
PERlLS OF SWORDFlSHlNG,
WOUNDED MONSTERS OFTEN TURN
ON THEIR PURsUERS.
The Great Fish Sometimes Pierces
Both Boat and Fisherman In Its
Fierce Rush Upon Its Assailant.

Both Boat and Fisherman In Its
Fierce Rush Upon Its Assailant.
ZIFTEEN or twenty miles ont
H OF the old port of Stonington.
Co.n., on the hither edge of
the Gulf Stream, is where the
Connecticut fishermen 60 to do battle
with the swordfsh. whose flesh the
world has just begun to prize. 1t is
not by any means life OF ease and
inactivity cruising after these solitary
providers of the deep who carry their
sabres in their shouts. 1t is arduous
and perilous, but desp srately fascinat-
ing work.
Far out on the bowsprit OF every
fishing schooner there Is o little IRON
banded "puIpit" where stands the har-
pooner, weapon in hand, riding up to
his fearless game. A swift and accur-
ate hurl into the monsters side and
away he bounds, furious with rage and
pain, with floating keg attached to
inc iron dart by fathoms of rope. Inc
vessel sails after him like tireiess
hound on the trail of fox, and the
marine hunters have only to keep sight
of him until he has exhausted himself
with his mad rushes through the seas.
When the time Gomez. however lit
NAV be in half an hour or it may be
twice that time-for the plucky
sportsman to deal the finishing stroke
to thewarrior of the deep, then, II
ever, hunter and game meet on fairly
equal terms.
The harpooner quits the vessel in o
yawI, armed with axe, club OF spear,
and pulls his frail craft to the side OF
the dying Ash. It may be that the
moribund giant is breathless and
really exhausted; if SO, the harpooner
has only to draw up to where is meas
ured the bulky length upon thesurface
of the ocean, plunge his sharp spear
into heart or brain, or deal crushing
blow upon the head.
But If the.hig fellow is only feint
ing, there is likely to be trouble
Sulkily and warily, but motionless
he notes the harpooner's advance, ano
when the latter has driven his boat t.
a point not half dozen rods away
suddenly the great fish arouses him
self, shakes the lethargy out OF hi
frame and the brine out of his glim
mering eyes and rushes upon his TO
like a whirlwind. Rarely does n
miss his drive, and the fisherman i
impotent to evade it. The fish cleave
the waves with the speed and fury 0
a war horse; sudden dip beneath tn
waves and 10! he has gone; but tn
next instant the oarsman, leaping int
the stern of his craft. hears gres
rush of waters beneath him, and wit
the sound of ripping timbers long
slender black repier is driven throug
the boat from side to side.
Lucky 1t is. indeed, for the boa
man, if he, too, be not in line wit
the straight, irresistible thrust.
he is, the sharp bone sabre will spl
him also as swiftly and easily as
cook skewers chicken. instance
are not wanting IN which boatma
has had both his legs speared throug
by the sword of furious swordis
and himself firmly impalled to I'll
sides of his yawl. One Stoningto
fisherman was cleft in that way tn
, summers ago, and I remember when
hunter ofthe marine swordsman WI
spitted in his seat, the boat lam
penetrating into his body.
Such instances are not uncommon
the greatest wonder is that. such
the awful fury of a wounded swordfis
more men are not MANNED or sla
, each season in this perilous sport
I the Atlantic seaboard. A wounde
fish seldom attacks schooner itse
. but several seasons ago big fello
, drove headlong into vessel and b
sword entered its walls, protrudil
, several inches into the cabin. II
j fish, in his angry wrenching to fr
himself, broke eff the end of Il
, blade.
, Swordfsh steak is as fine and savol
q morsel as can be gathered in t
: ocean, and the demand for it
) steadily growing. New York Heral