Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-12-24

ena, we lowered for a school of whales
and got two. There were IL in the
school, and 10 went off to the south
west. We were making our captures
fast to the ship when the Rainbow came
down on us from the south. She was
now 54 days out, and i'll luck still pur.
sued her. After parting from us she
lowered for a whale and lost two har-
poons and lines and had half day 8
work for nothing. Two men had fall
Ell from aloft, had broken arms or legs,
and her captain had to come aboard of
us to buy oil to keep his lamps alight
As was third mate of the Nancy
Lee, had an opportunity to hear of the
feeling which prevailed aboard the
bark. Her crew were on the verge Of
mutiny, and Captain Travers had be-
come alarmed for his own safety The
men had come to regard him as Jonah,
and on the day he ran down to us had
come to the decision that If the run of
ill luck was not broken they would
compel him to return to Bristol with
an empty ship. Captain Travers was
still aboard of us when monster whale
broke water within half a mile of the
two craft. We got him aboard Of his
ship as soon as possible, but long
enough before he reached her his mates
had lowered and were away. The hour
was o'clock in the afternoon, and we
knocked off work to see the fun.
There were those aboard Of the Rain
bow who said it was the same whale
which had killed two men and smashed
boat to the north of ST. Helena. Be
that as it may, he had harpoon stick.
ing in him and was badly tangled up
in whale line. He was rolling Oh the
surface when both boats came up ana
made fast at the same moment. For Ii
seconds the monster did not move fin.
Then he started off with rush ano
made complete circle about both ships,
leaving such wake behind him that
there were times when we lost sight Of
the boats in the foam. Having com.
pleted the circle the monster Slowed
about until he was head on to the first
mates boat. He lay for a moment
swinging his lower jaw to right and
left and then made rush The boat at
tempted to shoot ahead and avoid him,
but he caught her with swing of that
terrible jaw and left only fragments be.
hind as he came down between the two
ships and went off to the south. The
second mates boat was obliged to cut
loose to pick up the other crew, but
three men, one OF whom was the first
mate had lost their lives. When the
extent Of the calamity became known,
open mutiny resulted.
The men demanded that the Rainbow
be headed for Bristol, and two hours
later she laid her course for that port
and left US. Never did a more dis.
gruntled crew reach port. The owners
at once removed Captain Travers from
command The men scattered, and il
was three months before the bark start.
ed out for another cruise. She had lost
prestige, but she was still looked upon
as a lucky craft and there was no lack
of applicants when she was ready fol
sea. On this, which proved to be her
last cruise, she was commanded by Cap.
tain Thorndyke, who was whaler OF
Is years experience and had command.
ed some of the best vessels in tho fleet
On leaving Bristol he told the owners
he would come back with hold full OF
oil or not at all.
We in the Nancy Lee had meanwhile
transshipped l,400 barrels of oil and
worked our way down to Cape Horn
and 200 miles south of it. We were
cruising east and west. taking a whale
occasionally, when the Rainbow came
down on us for the third time This
was some nine or ten months after her
last adventure, and she had made tht
trip from Bristol without sighting a
spout. She came down to us at 10
o'clock one morning, remained hove tc
until 2 in the afternoon and then head.
ed away to the east.
We came about, and two days later
sighted the Rainbow again. Neither
craft had sighted a spout. but at i
o'clock in the afternoon, as they lay
within quarter of mile of each other.
whale broke water within cables
length of the bark. He was so close to
her that we had no show and did moi
lower. 1t was lone whale and q big
one, and we no sooner had him under
our glasses than we saw that he was a
fighter. There were half dozen scars
on his head, and the way he rolled about
showed his temper. As he was head on
to us he must have seen both ships and
the two boats lowered for him, but he
made no move until the mates boat
was close upon him and ready for
dart. She had made half circle to get
out Of his line Of vision and approach
him broadside on, but he heard the ap-
proach and indulged in a strange ma.
neuver.
Few men ever saw whale back wa
ter. and there are plenty of whalers that
contend that he cannot. This whale,
however, backed distance of 100 feet,
and with amazing swiftness, too, and
striking the boat with his flukes he
killed four men and reduced her to
matchwood. Then he started straight
for the Rainbow, and his rush was that
Of an avalanche. Every man Of us had
our eyes on him when he struck her on
the port bow, and we plainly heard the
crash Of planks and timbers. After the
shock be started off and settled down
and was seen no more, but in ten min.
utes the Rainbow was at the bottom OF
the sea. Not man saved even an extra
jacket. There was scarce time for them
to lower their boats when the bark
pitched forward and went to her grave
We, Of course, took them aboard, and
after few weeks they were landed at
Bahia.