Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1902-11-20
WHALE HUNTING
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

TIE was n Norwegian, but his sen
English was ns good as the king's.
lie was big and muscular, with rare
combination OF weight and wiriness.
His face and eyes were aern enough
when he shouted orders from the
bridge, but, when playing the host In
his cabin. as merry as n SANTA Clans
without the whiskers. His skin WINS
tanned by the salt spray and burned by
the sun Of every degree Of latitude
where ships have ever been. He had
caught whales In every sea, from the
Persian gulf 10 BAilin's bay; and few
years ago he abandoned the old way
OF New Bedford and all romance--the
three -year-long. round the world
cruise In q sailing vessel-do try the
adaptation OF stenm to whaling. For
the big brick oven on the deck to boil
the blubber (which all remember who
know The Cr,iise Of the Cachalot he
substituted permanent factory for
refining the oil. located on the north
ern shore Of Newfoundland. From this
he steamed out to the whaling grounds
each morning and back at night, rare
ly without prize. For the old method
OF throwing harpoon by hand from
small boat he substituted n hnrpOon
gun from the bow OF his whaler; and
with these improvements conducted
business that will soon make the few
Surviving New Bedford sailing whalers
as obsolete nA wooden plows
lay in his spare bunk, across the
narrow cabin from his own, and
dropped 10 sleep as he finished tale,
strangely like Kipling's "Threc Seal
ers." OF a fight between rival crews for
dead whale in the OkhOtsksea Only
a minute later, II seemed, bumped
my head against tho top OF the bunk
20 the quick awakening OF an excited
Norwegian craft cry from the top OF
the companlonway. Thecaptain leaped
from his bunk. lie waited not for
shoes nor for other clothes than those
he selpt In, but bounded up the steps,
shouting orders ms he ran. While |
dressed I cduld feel the quick stopping,
the short advances and retreats OF the
engines. and knew we were stalking
game when reached the deck the
captain had one hand on the gun.
swinging II about on its pivot. With
the other he was making signals To the
engineer to stop, 10 20 toward n little,
or to go back. Following his eyes,
caught sight Of our game II looked
like n huge, cigar-shaped piece OF
smooth. shiny slate-colored India rub
Der, rising at regular intervals so that
four or Ave feet OF his diameter and 40
feet Of his length showed like a mound
on the smooth water With alternate
rising md dipping he was gliding
smoothly forward, without apparent
eIertion. but with tremendous speed.
and In a perfectly straight line, We
were approaching him from behind at
an angle, so that his course and ours
were the sides ofSV.
The captain on the raised platform
in the bow, following with the mouth
OF his cannon the course OF the whale,
was the personincntion OF nlertuess.
The crew were grouped behind him as
eager and e1pectant Os II they had
never caught a whale before, One Of
them touched me on the shoulder and
pointed silently mile away, where u
dozen other whales were spoutlng fnC
columns OF vapor. when | turne.
again TO our whale he had risen once
more, and we wore within 10 feet Of
him. Every person on the ship was In
q state OF tiptoc alertuess. Suddenly
came the crash of the gun. lSaw hid
sous red Iigzag cash ON the broad side
OF the whale; | heard the rumhling
roar OF the time bomb at the point OF
the harpoon exploding In the whales
vitais. On deck there was convulsive
pandemonium The captain, in the de
lirium OF the hunter at the death OF his
quarry, was shrieking shrlil stNccNto
orders The crew were leaping to their
posts, Suddenly felt thc bow of the
vessel give jerk beneath me. then
tremble moment, and slowly dip
The whale had gone straight down.
ward. The rope attached To- the har-
poon shot over the bow so fact that the
eye could not hollow; whore 1t touched
the wood curling column ~ smoke
arose. The windlnSs rruu ruuud ike
boys top. II mmm,l and bugzed
with the noise oi a 1viug locomotive
Coil after coil OF rorc lenvcl 4 into moth
ingness like = mnRiciUus flower pots
Gradually tho windlos, ceased to spin
The whale had touched bottom Tbs