The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-07

board. As it happened, l caught my ankle
IN blight of rope, which was the only
thing that saved me- ] was dragged up
out of the water by this, more dead than
alive, choked with water and almost froz-
en-. l could not have survived for more
than minute. or so longer in that water.
Il happened to be in California. from
Callao, having sailed from Nantucket,
when the gold fever broke out in 1919 and
| was infected by it. l spent some time in
the mines. and finally left, after doing
fairly well. l also dug for gold in New
zealand, but was not so successful
One of the most narrowing experiences
through which Capt. Herendeen passed,
and which came near ending his existence,
was in the Indian ocean. He describes il
as follows:
In 1866 I was one of the crew of the
sailing ship Richard Mitchell of Martha $
Vineyard. As we were cruising near Gro
zets Islands in the Indian ocean, two
boats crews OF us were landed to hunt the
sea elephant for blubber The animal is
nothing more than big, fat. overgrown
seal, with a sort of nasal appendage,
which, when inflated, resembles the trunk
of an elephant. We landed on one of the
islands, which were greatly isolated, and
| had just gotten to work, when the sky
suddenly darkened. a terrific gale set in
aud the Richard Mitchell was driven out
to sea. Gale followed gale, our ship dis
appeared and we were alone for twenty
two days Most of us had almost de-
SPARED of ever getting off. All were suf-
| fering from stomach trouble from eating
the little we had When we had almost
given up the ship made its appearance.
l never wish to 60 through such a time
again.
IN 1860 I was sailing master Of the ship
Nassau, about 400 tons. from New Bed
ford, bound north for whales Did I ever
| harmon Opp9 NpG moro than once.
a man hardly knows what a thrilling ex-
perience is until he has struck a whale,
which, maddened by the pain Of the lance
in its blubber, Sounds then rises and
| tears along through the water, dragging
the boat with it at a terrific rate of speed.
| Every whaler has been knocked out of
boat at different time by one of the
| big fish l never saw a whale bite a boat,
| but have often seen a boat upset by one.
| The whale does it by pressing his jaw
against the side. This has happened time
| and again. l saw q man killed once by
| a whale on the coast of California The
| whale 'broached came up underneath the
| boat, struck with it's tail and hit the man
when he fell in the water. killing him in
| stantly. We secured his body.
| I'm 1924 l was in command of the
! Alaskan coast survey ship Yukon, from
! San Francisco. in charge of DR.. w. II.
! Dill, one of the curators of the Smithson-
| ian. 1 was pelagic sealing some years
j after, and met with good success. l should
say that under the present circumstances
the United States is wasting time and
| money in attempting to protect the seals.
! 1t is too much depopulated to ever
| amount to anything. 1t was not an I'M
! common thing for a catch of 100000 a year
to be made when I was in the business.
''In 1881 I went with Lieut.. Ray on the
| interpolar expedition to Point Barrow and
| some time there. / never minded
| the cold. l was never more than 20 de-
! grees north. but this is some distance. l
| had a whaling station at Point Barrow
| at one time. During the five or six years
1 spent in Alaska and UP north / picked
up the language of the EsquimauX and
| can speak it as well as they can. 1 have
! done great deal of Interpreting.
at is a mistake to suppose that the Es-
! quimaux eat train oil, fat and b.ubber. All
| the time 1 spent among them 1 never yet
| saw them do it. They don't eat any more
fat than ordinary people. They are ex-
| tremely fond of the outer portion of the
| whales body, with a skin of blubber on
| the inside They sometimes dip their
meat in grease, but never eat plain fat OF
! blubber"
How did such a man find a final haven
! as dOorkeeper at the Smith
| sonian Institute? Through mis-
! fortune, which comes to the
| bravest and the strongest as well as the
weakest. A government claim, a patent
! in which he though there was thousands
! and one or two other things brought Capt
! Herendeen from California to Washington
! His money all went and he was Obliged
| to have work. Influential friends knew
| what manner of man he was and got him
| his present position He hopes il will be
a safe harbor for the rest Of his days.