The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-04
1Er1ArHAN KILLED BYsEA wolves.
Tho battle Might Have Turned Out Differently
but for tho swOrdnsh's Help.

Dut TOT ne SWOruusn's kaetp.
From the Portland Telegram.
Ibid you ever SEQ a school of thrashcrs after
a whale. with a swordfsh assisting the sea
wolves :"
Some of the party had witnessed the sight.
others had not: all. however. were cognizant of
the associa ton existing between the thrasher
and swordish. but the story was asked for.
lit was from the deck Of the old brig Firefy,
plying in the fruit trade between San Francisco
and Tahiti, during the seventies, that ! saw this
sea battle sa d the shipping man. I'VE were
equatorial DRIFT, not enough wind moving to
keep the sails from Stating against the masts.
The heat was something deadly in its intensity.
and there wasn't enough energy among either
crew or passengers TO even read.
Suddenly we were reused by n call from the
lookout: Something coming up, sir! Two
horizon =
leaning over the port %taffrail. Far down near
the horizon could he seon n Hurry of foam and n
5 jun of dark ,i objects &c 81 These would d. apPS9ia ar
spray we had first noticed showing clear against
the blue Of the equatorial sky.
/ make it, said Capt. Turner, ,as he handed the
~ got a steady sight on tho objects. which
were rapidly approaching us. With the second
furry of foam. ms tho black spots approached on
the surface could make them, out. 1t was q
big sperm whale being chased by a school OF
"sDut the whale doesn't sound long enough
w hltSi tiiIh. ouit NhO Nhpteii
hides them from the deck
ITO make certain / went aloft in the fore rig
ging, and from the top could make out the fight
distinctly. But, Just as the Captain had said.
] WAS puzzled at the short lapseas Of time tra ri.
again appearing on the surface.
"The whale was headed straight for us, and
working along at a ratio that within half an hour
would bring him, with the thrashers. abreast OF
the brig, providing he did not change his course
This, fortunately for our excited curiosity. the
whale did not do, and at q distance OF less than
300 fathoms the people Of tho Firefy were
treated to such a sight as seldom comes, even in
tho varied incidents which go to make up a life
at . sSe; had nil boor otre,;nc coniectures as 10
why the whale did not sound 10 q depth the
thrashers could not follow. When the Zig fol
low had ranged Just of our quarter tho ques'
"Flukine high and bringing his tail down
with a swaSh that would havo crushed the life
the the S vi isy at taa%f%sS f % soan "c"i lie could " Y'H Hot
hayo reached five fathoms deep when, with q
b bGil SSr Of b PItnbl I be i II 4ns to air. the s fnT,nssi s,nsiH s
whales belly was, a swordhsh. is sword i'm;
throwing itself, the swordfsh seemed endeayor'
ing to work loose from the whale before the lat
This 1t succeeded in doing. i fraction OF q second
only separating the fall Of the swordfsh and
sa1tici Sa the Sow whaie ,o i~t Inc 5s sso SSHhhhi to dh Est Iss
whale on The, surface: Then with q rush 9sa
whale; Setting, their, teeth into Its sides
half of the school would. tear great chunks OF
blpbber from the following levisthsn, while ths
balance of the school, with fearful blows. would
thrash at the whale with their hukes, the
swordhsh in the meantime keeping up q steady
stabbing from beneath. until at last, In sheer
agony of pain. the whale would sound, dragging
the swOrdiish. with It's sharp. sawtooth blade OF
bone sunk deep In tho blubber, with IL.
1T seemed impossible, however, for tho
whale to reach any depth, impeded ms IL was by
the twelye-foot swordhsh hanging to, II, and
with u below 1t would again come TO the sur
face; Three times while life remained In the
whale did We soc the hugo bulk shoot out OF the
water, the white body OF the swordfish hanging
from Its side.
stranger still, though, were the tactics used
by The swordtish TO so wound the whales bl0w-
hole as TO incapacitate II entirely from sound
ing. Twice. when the whale had been stabbed
at the surface and tho thrashers had taken
good hold. the sword lshL ranging close to the
with its shsrp-toothcd sword endeayored q
cut open the whales biowhOle. That the sword
fish had succeeded in, one OF these attempts
prior TO our getting a close view OF the night, was
evidenced by the scattering spray In which the
whale sent forth its blow on rising;
The whale had hardly gone three miles
astern OF us before its body, hoating SUI on
the ocean. showed that swordhsh and thrasherl
lad e0neuyred."