The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-14

4 WHALES REVENGE.
hat Hefeti u Fleet From the Care
IesSue~s OF "a uarpooner.
Cornhlll Macazlne.

tCT0uiV MaEaLiNP.
\ widely known and feared dewitt fish has
It's headquarters in the Northern Pacific.
mostly along the American coast, Is
pecialiy affecting the Gulf OF California.
This huge creature IS mammal. one OF
The great whale family. really A rorqual Of
medium size and moderate yield OF OIL
Only the elite Of the Yankee whalemen,
dexterous and daring rs are all the tribe,
can hope to get TO wipdward" OF the dia-
h0licaly cunning giants whom they abuse
with such fluent and frequent flow OF pic
turesque profanity. II Is a peculiar char
acteristic of this animal that it seems ever
on The alert. scarcely exposing for one mo-
ment It's broad back above the sea surface
when rising 20 spout. ana generally travel
ing, unlike all its cOngeueTs nor upon. bat
4 few feet below. the water. For this rea-
son. ami in this fishery alone the wha}ers
arm themselves with iron-shafted har-
poems. IN order 10 strike with greater force
and certainty Of direction a whale some
distance beneath the surface. \ standing
order. too. among them is never by any
chance 10 injure calf while the mother
lives. since such an act exposes all ana
$undry near the spot to imminent and VIZ
lent death Neglect Of this most necess iry
precaut,on, or more PROBABLY accident
once brought about a calamity that befcii
a feet of thirteen American whalesnips
which had been engaged in the ''b0Wgead'
fishery among the ice-ffoes al the Arctic
Pacific. In order - waste 40 time, they
came south when winter SET in, and by
common consent rendczvoussd in Margha-
rita bay, Lower California, for uoath or
twos "isvii-ush!ne.
The whales were exceed ngly abundant
that season. and al The ships were soon
busy with as much biuhheT they could
manage The ease with which the whales
We're being obtained however, led 10 con
sidt rahle careleSsness and forget fulueSs OF
tbe fact that the whale never changes its
habits one bright morning, about three
weeks after tn opening OF the season. the
whole ta;illa Of iifty-tw9 boats, four from
each ship had been lowered ana Were
making their way rs rapd.y AS possible 20
Ire outiN wing parts or the great bay, Keep
ing a bright lookout for FISH Spread
ing out fan-Wise. they were getting more
and more scattered when about near the
center Of the fleet SOME one suddenly
struck and so; fas- 70 fish But hari-
something very IKE panic sei2ed upon the
crowd. IL Z moment or twc the reason
was apparent. From some cause, never
definitely known a hdrpouHe- hid IN SIR *
ing a large c,.N whale tran7ilxed her calf
AZ her s.de with his harpOon. killing L
Immediately. The mother. having quietly
satisfied herself that her offspring was
really dead. turned upon her agEresSoTS
Xix. Vtyitahio demon NJ destruction, ana,
while carefully avoiding exposure o. her
body 10 attack. simply spread devastation
among the detla. Whenever she rose 10
tr. surface. X wa bat for SECOND. 70
emit au expiration Ike 'he hiss q lifting
safety valve. AMI almost ai~ 1ys - destroy
a boat or complete the dt siTuct}on Of one
air. ady hopcl,-~,y damaged
Every hiaw was 1eaaT Win an accuracy
sDd app arsnce r reconciliation that
formed a good uaf e the crew. v.th i s.
m1E-the more % trat many of than
co4I3 Only guess a thr original cause OF
Waa, was really going oa. Taa speed ~
the monster was So graf ,he: her almost
Simultaneous appearance af i4o fs.~ widely
separated maze ner Se'fn UBIQUITOUS And