New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-18
| tn Och No boil

few feet below. the water. For this reason. and
tn this fishery alone. the wha!ers arm them
selves with iron-sbafted he rpoons In order to
etrike with greater force and certainty OF d.
rection 4 whale some distance beneath the sur
face. standing order too, among them Is
never by any chance to injure a calf while the
mother lives. since such an act exposes all and
sundry near the spot to imminent and violent
death.
Neglect Of this most necessary pIecauton, or
more probably accident once brought about a
calamity that befe! fleet Of thirteen American
whaleships which had been engaged in the
"bowhead" fishery among the ce-Hoes of the
Arctic Pacific. In order to waste no time. they
came south when winter set in, and by common
consent rendeZvousod in Margaarita Bay, Lower
California, for n month or tw0's devil fishing.
one bright morning. about three weeks alleI
the opening Of the season. the whole tiotilla or
Gfty-two boats had been lowered and Were make
Ing their way as rapidly as possible to the outs
lying parts Of the great bay. keeping a bright
lookout for fish. Spreading out fanwiSe, they
were getting more and more scattered. when
about near the centre of the fleet some one sud
denly struck" and got fast to a hsh But
hardly had the ntima,iOn been given when
something very like panic seized upon the crowd
In a moment or two the reason was apparent
From some cause, never definitely known, har-
pooncr had. in striking a large cow whale. trans
fixed her calf at her side with his harpoon. XIII
ing il Immediately. The mother, having quletiy
satisfied herself that her offspring was really
dead turned upon her aggresscrs Ike "A verita-
bic demon Of destruction, ard. while carefully
avoiding exposure OF her body To attack, simply
spread 0"NiStdtIoN among tnP Hotl'id NH'H-
ever she rose TO the surface. 1t was but FOR
second. To emit an expiration like the hiss OF a
lifting safcty-yalvc. and almost always |" De-
stroy boat complete the destruction II ono
already hope lessy damaged.
Every blow was dealt with an accuracy ana
appearance Of prcmcdtation that filed the
supcrstitious Portuguese, VINO FORMED eooo
half Of the crews. with dsmay-the more 50
that many OF them could Onls guess AT the
original cause II what was really going on
The speed OF the monster WAS 50 great that her
/ al, rifraftl Tar
! widely separated made her seem Ubiquitous,
and as she gave no chance whatever f"r a blow.
/ IL certainly looked as IL AL the boats would Ire
/ destroyed scriatnn. Not content WITH dr'hhs
! one tremendous blow at boat ana r'duc. IL
| al once to n bundle q loose boards, Sh" TcNf"c1
/ her att.nti.us again and again 10 the week
age. rs II determined that the destruction should
/ h- complete
/ Tttcr Generalization had seized even the vet
/ erane and escape was the only thought govern
| ing all action Hut the distance to shore was
/ great and the pcrsistenc" and Nlgor of the Iu1.
! ous lryiathan so far from Diminishing. seemed
| Ia increase as the terrible work went Oh. Al
last two boats did succeed In react ing the beach
a, a uoint whc~c IL sllPcd very gradual Y. Inc
crews had hardly lcaTcd overheard. 10 run
/ their craft up high and dry. when close l"hhu
, them IN the shadows fOam"d and rolled theIr
! relentless enemy. Just too late To reach mem
| out ~ III, large number Of weIl-cquIppod b"atS
that lr:i ~. ships that rnorninE' only 'heSe wv
| escaped unchanged. and the loss oil thc sta
SIMS work WAS irrcmcdiailc. over MY men
! zero h,div Injured ard six one OF whon WAS
/ IN. unhappy origin ~ tho Who'll" trouble, we're
killcd outright The triumphant avenger OF her
/ slain offspring dsapl cared as silently as Sne
h,d car-t.d ON her dcadly warfare as FAR AZ
/ c,ufd h. known unhurt aul with an accumu-
lated hoard Of eNIeriene" maj W'uid u poSso,
render her more az devil To- any unSuSP't'-
ing Whalsfnen Who should hereafter nave VIC n
,,'I.forttr ., meet with and attack her than she
/ had proved herself L. already 49,
DETECTED and crippled the fleet LOST no 'me