Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1909-04-17

time was one of the way ports of the
Honorable East India companys ships,
and their coming in and going out
of Table Bay were about the only
events that created any excitement in
that far-away city Of w-going in
habitants, but as it was the largest
city l had seen up to that time, it ex-
cited my young imagination.
The Beach Hottentots Of the coast
or Africa are a peculiar tribe. Their
language is entirely different from
any other language known, and sounds
very much like the chickering's Of the
monkey. as there is a constant cluck-
cIuck-clueking when they are talking
with each other. There have never
been any missionaries among the
Beach Hottentots, l suppose for two
reasons: they could not learn the Ian
guage, nor could they subsist upon
the simple food of the Hottentots,
which consists of whale carcass and
sea fowl The natives would occa-
sionally be taken over to the bird ISL
ands, where they would knock down
as many gulls, gannets and penguins
as they could bring away, and then
the whole tribe would have a right
royal feast. The heads and legs of
the birds they would feed to the dogs,
of which they always had a number
with them. Then, putting the bodies
into the fire, which was made from
kelp, they would burn off the feath-
ers. and the bird would be ready to be
served, and the way it was served by
those HottentOts should be seen to be
appreciated, for twas feasting indie
scribabls.
On THAI portion of the African coast
it never rains, and a warm and even
temperature prevails all the year
round. The only seasons known on
the coast are the bay whaling and
sealing seasons. After the sealing sea-
son comes the season Of rest to the
sealers and seals. as it's then that the
seals have to bear and provide for
their young. The whaling season is
the time when the whaling ships come
in from sea and anchor in Man-o'-
War Bay, and pursue what is known
as bay whaling, and sometimes whales
ara taken ten or fifteen miles from tho
ship and have to be towed all that
distance.
1t was during one Of these bay
whaling seasons that our captain con
cluded to try his hand at whaling. as
the captain Of a French whale ship
had consented to try out any whale he
might kill for half TIE proceeds. When
the boats were to start from the
schooner, I begged to be allowed to
make one Of the boats crew and pull
the stroke oar OF the captains boat.
After about three hours cruising we
came upon a whale. and he was a
rouser.. When we got fast to him he
started for spin, and for four hours
we had a lively time with that whale,
and when he finally yielded to harpoon
and lance, we were about fourteen
miles from the ship, and it was four
o'clock in the afternoon. But it was
the rule when one boat had a whale
that the other boats, If rhey had none,
should go to her assistance, so we
the whale. When a whale dies, it's
soon had twelve boats in line towing
jaw drops, so that towing it is very
like towing a house broadside on. and
those twelve boats towed that WHARF
unit eight o'clock on the following
night. and It was safely secured along
side the French chip.
When we got On board Of our own
schooner, I said to the captain that 1
had had all the whaling I wanted. an I
he said. I'm glad to know it," Angro
Pequena Bay was well known in those