The Nome nugget., 1901-12-28
SAOll
 'llHAll|lG ,Primita Me Qgo \! lowed y \ wa,ir63lFO OUTPUT ]!
Now About so.oeoP Pounds Annually How the Nativs( Caught Whales In the Early Day Where Shore Whaling Is Still Plrs(ed.

on SnOre anu noe WH9Ilng S1nCe tim,
 out of memory md tr}dition. ThdbOw
 head or Greenland thale used to b.
 exceptionally plentifIin these north
 srn waters; and the numerous remain
 of slaughtered wha4s, such as in
 mense skull bones, aJbones, etc, lyinI
 around everywhere ln the beach uI
 and down these shore| and which ofteI
 show signs of havint lain there fol
 ages, bear witness u the prowess O
 these Old-time native thalemen. How
 expert they must hive been at the
 whaling business in tlpse days will be
 readily understood, then it is con.
 sidered that all the mAns they had to
 catch and kill whales with were har-
 poons and long knifes, laboriously
 made out of flint stond.
 Their method of catlhing whales was
 most ingenious. and. with minor inn
 provements. it is stilfemplnyed by us
 in foe whaling at PointBarrOw, Alaska.
 They prepare excelbnt drogues or
 stop waters by peelingjthe entire hides
 of large hair seals, only cutting these
 just little around tt head. These
 hides are then cured bE drying, and in-
 ilated and stopped up Iirtight, making
 enormous bladders which are by :
 short line attached , the harpo0n,
 generally three of then at time.
 The native harpoIIer would never dart his harpoon into l whale. It was ways attached to along and heavy pole, and he would walt for An oppor-. tunity to push it hone, deep into the blubber, oftimes the whale boats crew bearing a hand, and catching hold of the pole with him drive the dint har- poon way into the whale, @ it would not draw out again. Ten persons gen erally made up the complement of U canoe crew, which would frequently consist to part of women and chilT dren. Three of such drogues will worry D whale greatly. Hampering him in his movements he stops going ahead in his attempts to kick them of. Es- pecially annoying they become to him when he tries to dive or sound. There is always the steady upward pull of Ihe large bladders. He will not stay under water for any length of time, but wallowing and aoundering around On top of the water, making short rushes back and forth, he will tire out after while and become easy to ap- prOach.
 As soon as canoe has struck whale the boatleader will set up in . loud voice sing song notifying all the other boats lying near and far of his success. These will flock quickly to Ihe scene, and one canoe after another will fasten, it's drogues to the whale. Soon the whale will not be able to gu under if he wanted to, and getting more and more gallied, his Hurried back and forth rushes will soon weaken and take all the kick out of him. Then .he natives would gather around in 'heir canoes and gradually hack him 10 death with their long handled flint knives. When the whale at last would roll fins up a suro sign that he was lead, all the canoes would fasten to him and tow him ashore or to . large 6eld of ice and commence to cut him In pieces. Every canoe crew would get a share, the lion share would, of course, g0 always to the canoe which first struck the whale. To the successful who generally was the Dwnet of boat and gear, bolonYed the aukes; the hard grisly subGtnnce they consist of is considered . dslicacy by he natives. Long years cuSe0m and usage have well established tho inlk vidual share, so the diviSi6n proceods1 tremendously always. There was nexer any strife, even when After tho arrivdJ of the. xhaling vesselA VI Zh high values. {. The whalers, of courss, - shu whales in these waters. but in I'll tho natives were compensated :h - l6s quisition of better whalfnG m 3nt1. They soon learned to uee IT Ftat ls7' vantage the fine New Hsdtdfd lroo| harpoons, the splendid steol the bomb guns and bOnk looo N during the spring and i'll ml - of the whales. The yodrly OotIl q! whalebone by thess nalfxs syorq get for years at least U10oO rouede of' late years, with the dying sUus of che natives and their degenerntl ty tho. abominable whisky tratiic Ill, oS.9putl has fallen of. Still todnx totWGepl whaling stations and int ore ies annually prpducsd q oe