The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-09-03

v1Dees1 . Whsle DBooo Wsso WsssD
80 kSDoooU ~ O0Bvvsp0.
\ WIDELY knewn and sssred Devil asn
n has 10 nssdqnasfsrs In the nortnern
Pacific. mostly along the American
coast. especially aRsctang the Gulf Of Cali
forusA. This huUs creasnso - a mammal.
one Of the great whs;e family. really .
forqual Of m<dum 80 and moderate yield
Of OIL - Only ths elite Of the Tan
hss whalemen. dsxsuouS and daring - are
all shs tribe. cAa hope 20 get TO wind
ward Of the dIsooilcall5 esnnlns siznss
whom fhsy abuse vita such fluent and fire.
Quent Gov of pscsus0sSus profanity. Il .
. psouitas chasscterie<te 81 this Assurn1 That
IL seems ever On the a5srt. scarcely expes-
ing for enc moment ~ 5F1a6 12ca ABOVE
the sea surfscs wbou rfGuU 20 Dozf and
ueperaS.y travelling, uniiho al 10 cong<n-
en-. not upon bot fow fsoe ossow The
wafer. For this reason md ~ this annery
ssons the whassss arm themselves with
isonr shas:ed hsrpoons in osdsr 20 ssrsbs
with greater force and certainty Of firec-
ton . waais soms dfetanes beneath tbs
surface. \ standing order. too. among
them - never by any chase 70 fnJure .
calf while tbs mother ilyss. since suea AN
act exposes all and sundry near the spot 10
imminent and violent death. Neziect u
the most necessary precaution or more
probably accident once brought about
calamity that DefelI . feet Of thirteen
American whaieships when had been en-
Gagged In the 'bowhsad' nahery smone the
ice foes Of the Arctic Pacific. In order %
waste no time they cams south when winter
81 In and BY common consent rendez-
voused In Msrsnarisa bay, Lower Cslifsr-
nis, for . month or twos devil 1shinw.
The whales were exceedingly abundant
that SEASON and all the ships we're s0cu
buSy with - much blubber 40 they could
manage. The ease with which the whales
were being obtained, however. led 70 con-
Siderable careIsxness and forseffsness OF
the fact that the whale never changes ifs
hAbits. One bright morning about tnres
weeks after tho opening Of the s~ason the
whole notiiia OF nfty-swo boats. four from
each ship, had been lowered and were
making their way 40 rapidly - possible 20
the outlying parts Of the 0psat bay. keep
inG q bright lookout for fish" 3preatzng
out fAnwsss. they were setting more and
more scattered. when about near the CEN
ter OF the fleet someone suddenly ssruch
and Tot fash to a nsh. But hardly had the
intimation been given when something very
like panic seized upon the crowd In q
moment or two tho REASON wss apparent.
From some cause. never definitely known.
a harpooner had in strfking large COW
whale trsnsdxed her calf 1T her side with
his harpoon. killing IL Immediately. The
mother. having quietly sasished herself
thax her Offspring was really dead, turned
upon her aswressors like q vsrftaols demon
Of destruction. and. while carefully avoid
ins exposure Of her body 20 attack. simply
spread devastation among the notiila
Whenever she rose - the surface u was
but for q second, 10 emit an expiration like
the hiss Of lifting safety waive. and at
most always 20 destroy . boat or cofnplets
the destruction Of one already hopeIessiy
Every blow was dealt with an sccur-