, 1902-12-25
A FIGHTING
..W HALE

ship Crosby wlleu L came acres; q 81
{ g:,litic while that had Often been seen
before. that had ,,cstr lyed many lives
He had come to bic. InOw:r as Ten Bow
lire and was recognized by ii V shaped
scar Oh his Head. T.icCr Shy WIS to the
west of st. Helena when he WAS raised
by the lookout. Tom Bovine came to
the surface will ii rush and then lay
wallow,ng about. Three Loa.s were
lowered. and the winnie was rccog-
nized by his scar. The Eia:e's boat
had the lead and got within striking
distance first. AS soon as the har-
pooh entered the whale settled away
like a roc.i and went down go feet.
e he turned and rushed for the
surface like Il wild locomotive. breach
ing his full length out of wafer and
filling and swamping he mates boat
with the waves Kicked ZIP by his fall.
lie rested IL moment and then s.ewed
around and started for the boat. He
caught it with IL SWING OF. Lis jaw and
made splinters of it and killed tree
mel ut the same time. For five min
utes the mate. who was supporting
himself by an oar. wis alongside the
fish and rubbing against his body, but
he finally pushed himself clear and
reached IL of the other boats. The
monster had the three beats at his
mercy, but for so.:Ie reason WIS salts
fed with the DIES ruct!on of the first.
Perhaps it WAS becausc the oilers re-
maincd. perfectly. quiet while he
seemed to lie searching for them. FIJI
teen minutes af.cr destroying Tie Loaf
lie moved slowly awsy, AID those v;lo
had escaped his fury returned to the
ship. We were at this time over half
full of oil.
One hundred and fourteen days lat
er, when 400 miles west of the island
CT Tristan d'-Acrnha. III the south At
lantic. We cut in Il last whale. cleared
the decks CT the tryw3rk3 and set our
course for Salem. We were f;.ll to the
hatches and thus far had mac one of
Ii best seasons on record. Ii about
three days we had the ship cleaned up
and most OF the smoke All grease
Washed Off our b3Ci2s, ard we were
about to begin pointing when at noon
OH the fourth or fifth day after turning
on il heel for hcme Il whale suddenly
- atSAt sSsNi-A u us sAlIb me-
more than 800 feet away. His fall
raised three or four warcs. which
pitched the ship about as If we were
lying to in Il gale. and. though the
monster settled away out OF sight at
once. we had Identified lin as Tom
Bovine. 80 1t may seem q::asr to you
to read that every man aboard, fr Al
captain to apprentice, was badly
frightened as soCn as it was known
that our OLD enemy had hunted. us
down, as it We're. We had left him at
most four months before Mt n point
1000 miles away and yet hc had over
hauled us-as II he had been Il steamer
sent in search and posted as to cur
cruising ground. His preaching so
near us was taken as evidence of his
evil Intentions. and some argued that
he had meant 10 strike the ship.
All work was mt once suspended, and
the mon We're ordered to move around
the decks on tiptCc. We hoped the L.
viathan had not seen Us ani that his
bre:ching 50 close aboard was quite
accidental. and after half an hour had
passed away without further sight OF
him everybody began to feel easier.
y man had just started aloft with 4
glass to scan the sea when tie whale
rose to the surface about Il stones
throw to windward.
From that time on for five hours
lie swan with the ship, paying no at
tcntion TO us, but maintaining his dis
lance TO Il foot Then of n sudden he
settled down. and we all heaved Il
sigh of relief. We had not seen the
last of HIN, however. An ho.r before
midnight the odor of n whale sudden
ly saluted the nostrils of the men. and
they looked to the winGward to each
sight of 4 great black bulk on the wa
ter. 1t was Tom Bowline. Word was
passed. around and all hands turned
up, and from l TO 3 we were in Il state
of suspense. At about 8 O'Clock the
whale began lashlng the water with
his tlukes. When he had churned an
acre or more of surface to foam, he
slowed around and headed straight for
us, but m~.scalculated our speed and
passed aStern, though clearing the
rudder by not more than five feet. AS
he rushed to lceward. swinging his
head and thrash.ng the wafer, we
lulfel sharp up until we were heading
due east. Whether he located us by
sight or sound 10 man can say. but
as he slowed around l saw that he
would come head on for OR stern. As
he started N his mad rush the ships
head was brought due north again in
hopes TO avoid him. but lie changed his
course as well and came down on our
port quarter. a. 81
EveBy soul aboard kpew the ship
was doomed. She was hceled TO star
hoard until almost onShcr bdam ends,
and the instant she settled hact; there
was II rush for; the boats. No oA6 give
the whale further attehtlon,nbutieycry
was put forth 20 gctt9ae. boae,.
into the, Water as The s-sSwas lsasau
into the wind. Her deSks~Sydsc aMash ,
as the last one-got away. and that was