The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-01-13
P0RP0ISE HUNTERS.
DIFFICULTIES m THE WAY OF Sc
CURING WATCHMAl(ERS' OIL.

Lives IN inclr hanus 10 1et lt-Io'
sharks Crowd In at the Death of "A Pei
pOise-Told by m Eyewitness.
What do you suppose this oil an
using comes from'" asked the watchmak
err This oil comes from the jaw OF tn
porpoiso they catch in the bay Of Fund.
and other places on the coast of Maine.
say they catch the porpoisos, but tha
isn't exactly the fact, for they don't catcl
them any more than the hunter catche.
the deer he goes out TO bag They hunt the
pOrpoises and shoot them, and immense
fellows they are, sometimes weighing $50
pounds. Hunting porpoises in the bay OF
Fundy know from experience is a dccid-
odly dangerous business, but greatmany
people get their living by it along the
coast The most expert porpoise hunters
are the remnants of that ancient tribe OF
Indians, the Passamaquoddies. They usu-
ally camp on Indian beach, bordering on
the bay of Fundy, and there is a good
sprinkling Of whites among them too
took winter trip once along the coast of
Maine, and at Indian beach soon noticed
that there were a great many men, old and
young, both among the Indians and the
white men, who had but one arm or one
arm and half, while hands and parts OF
hands and fingers were missing on others.
/ finally asked a native what was the
rause OF the lack or loss OF those missing
members.
'Sharksr was his grim reply.
BY further questioning l learned that
very frequently when a porpoise is shot
on the hunting grounds of the coast its
death struggles will not be over before the
Ill I l.. = L
bristle with the bayonetlike back fins of
sharks that have suddenly come from the
depths to gulp in the blood that flows CO. |
piously from the stricken porpoise. 1t is |
seldom that sharks will bite at the carcass !
Of porpoise, but they will follow it to |
the boat as the hunters pull it in, and il
the latter are not wary will with one snap
of their terrible jaws take of an arm at
the elbow, or at least a hand.
II was not anxious TO see any ono have
an arm taken off, but l did want TO see a
porpoise killed and watch the array of
sharks that they said was almost invari-
ably in at the death. hired a couple Of
big Indians TO take me with them on
days frnt Sometimes these Indians will !
not &C out for days, no matter how fine |
the weather Is, but loaf and lay around |
ike lazy pigs. But when they do make
up their minds TO go out there is no |
weather too rough to stop Them They |
launch their boats at all risks and make a ,
start for the hunting grounds, whether
they ever reach them or not 1t is by no
means an unheard of thing for a boat TO
start out in tempestuous weather and for
neither boat nor hunters 10 be heard of
again unless by chance the waves wash
them ashore Two men go in boat, but
as the boats are made large enough To
fetch back two or three porpoises. weigh. /,
ing from 200 TO 800 pounds, there is room
enough for third person IL he is anxious
To take the risk and share the hardships.
The morning l made the third occu.
pant OF the boat / speak Of was sunny and {
calm, but II was March, and the Indians I
told me squarely that it might blow great c
guns before we could hope TO get back. +
But was resolved 10 go, and 90 I did. !
NO one will ever know how prayed few
hours later 10 be safe back on the beach. ,
On the way out 10 the porpoise grounds
me Indians told me that it took years 20
make an expert porpoise hunter out Of a a
beginner, and that they put their boys TO IL
me task as soon rs they were largo enough o
ina strong enough. Each Indian had a v
leavy gun, with barrel at least q foot | I,
l Ia
vas smooth and very large They put in n,
hargcs Of powder that it seemed to mo l
we're heavy enough TO load cannon and y
ahmed on top of them a handful of dou. v
lie b shot II
we went out two miles. and long he. T
ore we got to the place we were headed 81
OF we could hear the porpoises blowing ID
Ike steam whistles. On clear davs the >,
ound Is easily heard on the beach. A -
Uln nor easter was coming up, and as the -
uhters picked out a porpoise and were II
teailhg upon II the wind was gale. The "
lgher the waves rolled the more the nor l.
DISCS seemed to enjoy themselves, and tho -
are uluh seem 10 worry the Indians n
~ ~ Dig porpoise raised on the crest of
wave snort distance away, and ire
lenuous report shook the boat One of the
nuiahs had discharged his gun. Tho woye pl
= uueht the porpoise and crimson tide III
iIhost against the boat and here and "
mere all around it, long black blades h,
arted to and fro above the surface n
hey didn't need to tell me what they =,
ere Tor | knew. They were the bloci
rs OF sharks, dozen at least OF which al
ere playing about in that porpoiso's blood
nj drinking il The Indians, apparentlv Al
aging no more attention to the sharks SO
an II Vhey mad been bits Of floating wood, jill
oceeded TO land their prize The one In. of
an hau reached out for the dorsal fin in
men L saw flash in the water on the 49,,
her side. With sharp cry the Indian VI
rked back his hand, and blood trickled
ON cash on its back.
shark closet he said, with no more
gn OF emotion than n wooden Indian and To-
wiped the blood on his blouse. Waiting of
favorable roll Of the waves. which ap
re rolling alarmingly high now, the In. be
an unconcernedly reached for the fin | II,
ain, got IL, and the porpoise was raised .o
the boat. 90
The Indians take all this risk the year ar
ma to got the oil the porpoises Weld pu
o average yield being three gallons 81 til
lbber oil to porpoise, which they soil su,
W cents gallon 1t is tried out In tho
fashioned soap kettles on tho be,oh
70 jaw oil Is obtained by hanging tho
In the sun, the heat of which tries a.
A good rich jaw will yield half
It OF oil, but that hal; pint Is worth
re than gallon Of the blnbber oil It
The very best OF oil for watches and del.
TO mechanism, as the merest mite of it
II oil watch for months, and A. never
'rodes New York Sun.
"
20