The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-04-30
AN OCEAN FIGHT.
Battle With a Big Whale in the
South Seas.

Of gigantic hawks. When but ships
length away, sails are rolled up as If
automatically. Noiseless as fish we
glide into the shadow and-strike. What
an awful uproar breaks up that sweet
solitude; the shoutings Of excited men,
the furious struggles Of wounded levia-
thans, whose mighty tail strokes rever.
berate in hollow thunder along the
echoing cliffs. The heretofore placid
sea Kisses and boils, and the boats toss
as in maelstrom. What can be amiss?
Not thus is the humpback mother wont
to meet an attack unless her younglins
is injured. All, that is it, surely. Her
calf must be dead, and, If so, then
heads must needs be cool and hands
skilful or there will be many numbers
lost from our good ships messes.
Two boats disappeared to windward
in a smother Of spray, and we who re-
main dimly imagine in some disinter.
ested fashion what manner Of hump
back they may be fast to. But not for
long, for suddenly toward us comes
rushing q family outlined black mass
piled high with snowy foam. and we
must needs exert every muscle to avoid
that terrible onslaught. We de just
succeed-the mighty one passes, and
disappears. Oh, for some shelter, If
only shallow reef! But there Is none.
Crash! and like an earthquake shock
come the maddened mothers fukes
against the side Of the other boat, hurl-
ing her and her disintegrated contents
far shoreward. Never again will that
boat molest q whale. And also, oh,
sorrow ard shame! never again will
Hallett Winslow, best, brightest, brav.
est Of harpooners, see the blessed sun
rise. His neck is broken. Now, while
shc is venting her fury upon the float.
ing fragments let us escape. But there
are our shipmates, and rs swiftly as
our shaking limbs allow We pick them
up, expecting every moment to go even
as they went-and then?
The next few minutes passed like
some hidcous nightmare, frantic, joint
wrenching endeavors to keep out Of the
way Of the monster bent upon our de-
struction, and sudden eruptions, up
heavals of the sea, so close to US that
destruction seemed impossible Of avoid
ance. And all this time, wherever we
went In the turmoil, we never lost sight
of the calf whale. AS II to calA our
crime continually to remembrance 1t
kept us company, tossing helpessly
upon the tormented waters. At last
and although I feel sure that half an
hour had not passed, yet the time
seemed intermipable-we found our.
selves, almost exhausted, close to the
rocks, where an overhanging ledge,
thickly clothed with dropping branches,
jutted out above deep water, but only
about three feet above the surface.
With one last fash of energy we all
sprang for shelter, scrambled like Mon
keys into the tangle Of the trees. just
as the unbreathed parent rushed at our
deserted boat and crushed 1t into
matchwood, returning again and again
to the fragments until they were al
most ground into splinters. All the
while we hung precariously, fearfully,
Just above the terrible tumult. pos
sessed with the idea that even here we
were hardly safe from so redoubtable
foe.
And then into the blazing sunshine,
which had now crept up to our refuge,
there sprang the other whale, towing
| behind him the two surviving boats,
still uninjured. Upon our almost be-
numbed brains fell deeper fear. Were
we about to witness the destruction OF
all that little company, so swiftly near.
ing this place Of utmost danger? No
long suspense, for out from the shadow
of our cliff sprang the vengeful mother
to meet her spouse and finish her great
work Of retribution. But as she came
we saw the bull whale slacken speed,
| saw the two boats spread out fanwise
| behind him, saw the COW rush between
them fully exposed. A puff Of white
smoke, and presently tiny report as
of revolver shot. Then for few mo-
ments our view was obscured by tumb-
). ling waves raised by the two monsters
in their furry, the one of death, the
other Of escape. And out Of that boil
ing vortex emerged our two boats, still
uninjured, large black mass floating
between them in utter immobility,
while far to the windward a tall jet rs
of steam from a high pressure waste
pipe showed where the agile bull was
making his utmost speed from the
place Of death. And in deepest silence
and sorrow We distributed ourselves
among the resculng boats and pre-
pared to tow to the ship our hardly
Won prize-London Spectator.