Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-09-14
HUNTING THE PORPOlSE.
Most Voracious and Difficult Of All
Denizens Of the Deep to
Capture.

Among the denizens of the great St.
Lawrence river are not only the salmon
and the cod, but the giant white por-
polse, otherwise called the beluga or
white whale. This is the enemy of the
smaller fry to such an extent as to less
en- appreeiably the harvest of the sea for
the riverside fisherfolk, writes Frank
Weigh, In Youths Companion
When it is stated that the meal of .
1utl-grown porpoise, Is feet long, is from
one to three barrels of fish, it can easily
oe understood what destruction the
countless thousands of them can accom-
pllsh, especially as their numbers have
materially increased in recent years.
AND they are among the most difficult
OF all the Inhabitants of the deep to cap1
ture.
1t has remained for citizen of Quebec
province, Mr.. Campbell MacNab, of Bic,
to adopt method of taking them that
is apparently as successful as it is SIM
PIE He found that the cetaceans, while
usually gregarious, frequently hunted
pairs, and that their food was, as has
been said, salmon, cod and cells.
Their way of securing a meal was to
rush up the mouth of river at high tide,
and at low tide crowd the fish on the
shoals. In this manner millions of the
fnny tribe were deyoured. When the
porpoises get school Of salmon in
shoal water, they form circle and then
move toward the center. The salmon
look into gaping mouths on every hand,
and in trying to escape one throat they
disappear down another At times the
salmon seem to be paralyzed with fear
and make no effort te escape, but calmly
accept their fate as food for porpoises
instead of people
1t would be easy to play the same trick
ON the porpoise that it plays on the
salmon were it not for the great
weight and strength of the animals
The strongest nets strung across the
mouths of rivers after the porpoises
have swum up have failed to hold them
when they returned, and the best the
hunters could do was to shoot such
as appeared on or near the surface.
After experimenting for some time,
Mr.. MacNab hit upon his plan, which
is to place in the mouth of a river a
thin pole tied to a stake in such way
that it will vibrate with the current
making what might be called vibra-
tory alarm. When school of porpoises
has gone up with the tide the rod is
placed in position, with the result that
not single cetacean will attempt To
regain the sea with the return of the
tide Rather than swim near the dread
ed shaking rod, they will stay in the
shallow water, where they are easily
shot.
The exact reason for this sensitive.
ness to vibration is mystery. The ca,
OF the animal is said to be UNUSUAL,
sensitive, and it may be that the vibra
ton causes pain, as it does to men, whs
when under water cannot stand sound
If, however, the inventor of the plar
cannot explain the causes, he is fairly
sure of the effect Not long since b.
placed rod in the Portneuf river, be-
low shoal he has leased. where hi
captured SO of the unwieldy brutes,
and although he cannot always expec
such luck as this, catches of 20 or 81
| are not uncommon. And as porpois,
is worth from $50 to $50 for it's hide
which makes fine leather, and for thu
oil, the new industry bids fair to BIZ
a profitable one, besides helping to rio
the st. Lawrence of scourge of Ions
| standing.