El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-26
IN THE SOUTH SEAS.

By Frank T. Bullen, in ''The Cruise
Of the Cachalot": When between Cos
moledos and Astove, the next island to
the northward, we sighted solitary
cachalot one morning just as the day
dawned. 1t was the first for some time
nearly three weeks-and being well
seasoned to the work now, We obeyed
the call to arms with great alacrity.
Our friend was making passage, turn
ing neither to the right hand nor the
left as he went. His rising and num-
Der Of spouts while up, as well as the
time he remained below, were as reg
ular as the progress OF CLOCK, anu
could be counted upon with quite as
much certainty.
Bearing in mind, 1 suppose, the gen.
eral character of the whales we had
recently met with, only two boats were
lowered to attack the newcomer, VINO,
all unconscious of our coming, pursued
his 1eisure1y course unheeding.
We got a good weathergage OF him,
and came flying on as usual, getting
two irons planted in fine style. But
surprise awaited us. AS we sheered up
into the wind away from him, Louis
shouted: "Fightin' whale, sir; look
out for de rush, Look out, indeed!
Small use in looking out when, ham
pered as we always were at first with
the unshipping of the mast, we could
do next to nothing to avoid him. With
out any of the desperate f1ounder1ngs
generally INDUCED in on first feeling
the iron, he turned upon us, and had
it not been that he caught sight of the
second mates boat, which had just ar
rived, and turned his attention to her,
there would have been but scant
chance of any escape for us. Leaping
half out of the water, he made direct
for our comrades with a vigor and fe-
rocity marvellous to see, making it no
easy matter for them to avoid his ire
mendous rush. Our actions, at no time
slow, were considerably fastened by
his display of valor, so that before
he could turn his attention in our d.
rection we were ready for him. Then
ensued really big fight, the first, in
fact, of my experience, for none of the
other whales had shown any serious
determination to do us an injury, but
had devoted all their energies to at
tempts at escape. So quick were the
evolutions, and so savage the appear
.ance of this fellow, that even our vet
eran mate looked anxious as to the
possible result. Without attempting to
sound the furious monster kept mostly
below the surface; but whenever he
rose, it was either to deliver fearful
blow with his tail, or, with jaws wide
spread, to try and bite one of our boats
in half. Well was it for us that he
was severely handicapped by a NAL
formation of the lower jaw. At a short
distance from the throat it turned off
nearly at right angles to his body, the
part that thus protruded sideways be-
ing deeply fringed with barnacles and
plated with big 1impets.
Had it not been for this impediment
I verify believe he would have beaten
US altogether. AS it was. he worked
us nearly to death with his ugly
rushes. Once he delivered a sidelong
blow with his tail, which, as we spun
around, shore off the two oars on that
side as if they had been carrotsF Eat
last the second mate got fast to him,
and then the character of the game
changed again. Apparently unwearied
by his previous exertions he now start
ed off to windward at top speed, with
the two AsIa-- s-eeri broadly out
M>n~