Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-15
KILLERS" OF Tw0F0LD BAY.
The Most Extraordinary and Sagacious In
habitants OF the Sea.

Woiotu LAY, nlaSHillcenl ueep-
water harbor on the southern coast Of
New South Wales, is "a 1isherman's
paradise, though its fame is but local,
or known only to outsiders who may
have spent a day there when travelling
from sydney to Tasmania i'll the fine
steamers of the Union Company. which
occasionally put in there to ship cattle
from the little township of Eden. But
the chief point of interest about Two
fold Bay is that it is the rendezvous OF
the famous killers (Orca gladiatol3.
the deadly foes of the whole race Of
cetaceanS other than themselves. and
the most extraordinary and sagacious
creatures that inhabit the oceans
| depths From July to November two
| schools" of killers may be seen every
day, either cruising to and fro across
the entrance of the bay or engaged IN
| a Titanic combat with a Whale-a
right" whale. a "humpback'' or the
| long, swift "tinback." But they have
never been known to tackle the great
| sperm whale. except when the great
creature has been wounded by his hu-
| man enemies. And to witness one If
| these mighty struggles is worth travel
| ling many Il thousand miles to see: It
| is terrible, aWe-inspiring and wonder
| full.
The killer ranges in length from ten
| feN't to % feet (Whalemen have told me
that one was seen stranded on the
| Great Barrier Reef in 1862 wheh
measured 81 feeD. Their breathing APP
paratus and general anatomy is much
similar to that of the sperm whale.
They spout breach and sound like
| other Cetaceans, and are of the same
| migratory habit as the two schools
which haunt Twofold Bay, always
leave there about November IS to
cruise in other seas. returning TO their
headquarters early in July, when the
| humpback and finback whale MAKE
their appearance on the coast of New
South Wales travelling northward to
the breeding grounds on the Brampton
! Shoals the coast of New Guinea and
the Mouccas.
| The head of the killer is of enormous
strength. the mouth is armed in both
| jaws With faithful teeth. from two
| inches to three inches long and set
| rather widely apart. In color they
show an extraordinary variation. some
| being all one hue-broWn, black or duh
gray; others are black. With large. ir-
| regular patches or streaks of pure
white or yellow: others are dark
brown, With black and yellow patches,
| One which | saw stranded on the reef
a Nukulaelae, in the South Pacific, was
nearly black, except for a few irregular
blotches of white on the back and belly.
This particular killer had died from
starvation, for the entire lower JAY
had decayed from Il generous growth.
The whaling station at TWofod bay
! is the only one in the colony-the last
| remnant of a once great and thriving
industry. 1t is carried on by a family
named Davidson. father and sons. in
conjunction with the killers And for
| more than twenty years this business
| partnership has existed between the
| humans and the cetaccans, and the
utmost rectitule and solicitude for
| each others interests has always been
maintained -Orca gladiator seizes the
| whale for Davidson, and holds him un-
til the deadly lance is plunged into his
! life ana Davidson lets Orca carry
the carcass to the bottom and take his
1.-THE of luscious blubber This is the
| literal truth. and grizzled old David
| son or any one of the staIWart sons
| who man his two boats Will tell YOU
! that but for the killers. who do half
Of the work, whaling would not pay.
| with oil only worth from c1S to e24
| a tun.
| Let us ima9 CINE q warm. sunny day in
August at TWofold bay. The man who
IS on the lookout at the old lighthouse,
| built by Ben Boyd on the southern
! headland fifty years ago. PAGES to and
| fro on the grassy sWard. stopping now
| and then to sean the wide eXpanse of
ocean with his glass, for the spout of
| whale is hard to discern at more
| than two miles. if the creature is in
| a playful mood and breaches that
is. springs bodily out of the water and
| sends up Il white volume of foam and
| spray, like the discharge of a submar-
inc mine-you can see it five miles
away.
The two boats are always in read-
moss at the trying-out works. a mile OF
50 up the harbor: SO. too, are the kill
lers; and the lookout man. walking to
the Verge of the cliff. looks down
There they are. cruising slowly up and
down. close in shore, spouting lazity
and showing their wet. cleaning backs
as they rise. roll and dive again
There's Fatty" and Spot and Flu
key and Little Jim and Paddy
ana Tom Tug nearly every one OF
them has name. and each is well
known to his human friends.
Presently the Waterman sees, away
to the southwark. IA white. misty puff
| then another and another. In an in
slant he brings his glass to bear
"Humpbacks," Quickly two flags Hut
ter from the ilagpole, and Il fire is lit:
ana as the flags and smoke are seer
the waiting boats crew at the try
ing out -station are galvanized into
life by the cry of Rush. no, Hump
backs in sight, steering northwest
Rush and tumble into the boats and
away.
Around the south head sweeps the
first boat. the second following more
leisureiy, for she is only a ''pick-up
or relief in case the first is ''fluked
| and the crew are tossed high in air
with their boat crushed into match
wood, or meets with some other disas-
ter. And as the leading boat rises to
| the long ocean swell If tho ofYipo, tn