The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1910-11-03
SAVED BY A WHALE
OLD SAILOR TELLS STRANGE
STORY or SEA ADVENTURE.
Monster Of the Deep upssts Boats In
Which Plrates Were About to
Attack Helpless Vessel IN

Il. ---'+--@"o~fi aatu an Oh lakt
4 sailor who had spent his early days
on whaler. ~she was a dry craft
= Won found. but very slow. and. al
: though those were risky days along
the heather coasts. owners OF crafts
were stingy about arming them for
protection We had two old six pound
ers. which had been purchased al a
sale OF condemned ordnance. and ten
or a dozen muskets and eutlasses Of
but little value.
We called at the Canary Islands on
our way down the coast. and there We
got the cannon out OF the hold and
mounted them on their carriagea
We got light and banning winds
along the Barbary coast. but were
nearing the tropie. when one afternoon
an hour before sunset a strange sail
was seen standing out from the coast
to cut Us on She was also a brig
and from the very frst sight Of her
there was no doubt IN our minds but
that she was a pirate. We altered our
course two points to the west and
then began TO get ready for her. We
bad no sooner set about loading the
guns than It was found that our can
non balls was all too large for the
bore. Not one Of them could be made
10 M
This discovery took the courage out
Of Us. and Il was only In the hope that
We might kin few Of the pirates BE-
fore We we're all sacrificed that We
loaded with bolts. pieces Of chain and .
such stun IN place Of solid shot The Z
discharge would b effective AZ close
quarters.
The stranger walked up on us a. I
rapid rate. and when darkness came 1
on be was not more than four miles a
away. Our captain went into the rie. y
girg with bis glass for q long squlnt.
and when he came down he called e
Us aft and said there was no longer ),
any room 70 doubt The stranger was I,
pirate. and there was no hope Of e. v
Gaping him
Al that very moment the wind. b.
which was on the land. began to fall =
md ten minutes later We hadn't -
'ncugh to blow a feather. We could al
10 longer see the stranger owing 10
be darkness We knew that he musf ~,
AVE lost the wind frst. and that be h.
vas all OF four miles away. n ne ~
aim held throughout the night be -
'ould have 70 attack In boats. n AZ ali.
nd we then stood some show Of beat. IN
le him on -,
believing that Tits would BE- his y.
Ian. We made the best preparations n.
ossible. ~ ~.
Midnight came and 70 had heard ~,
othing. The fog was nov very thick -,
I'd every man was listening intentiy -
catch the nrst suspicious sound
hen all Of q sudden there was q
rrinc crash followed By shouts and
irieks. Then another crash. more n
Ioutas and a splash in the water a.
an iceberg had rolled over -,
Prom midnight until dawn every -,
an stood At his post When day -,
mt came We saw the pirate brie go.
out two miles Oh. Between the i've -.
ssels was lot Of wreck stun. which -.
. captains glass made out to be the -
altered remnants Of several small -.
ats Only four men could Be Oh 80
we'd aboard the brig. and as the cap - !
n was watching them they got into -.
light One was killed. one ran BE- go i.
, and the two men left on the -
X got a white cloth from the cabin 80 go
sent Il aloft IN place Of a Gag. -.
In about half an hour We Rot the
ID and ran down 70 her. lowered 4
4. and went aboard. went IN The
{ and followed the mate on deck.
ere We were welcomed b. two men ~.
, spoke English.
One Of the men was an Engliah. 49,. -. I
D. the sole survivor OF an English 80 :.
sci wrecked on the Barbary coast ~. \
years before. The other was An 80 -.
rrican. who had deserted hia ahlp - 49,
he Cape Verde islands three YEAR, -
riously and while making q voyage - -
! coaster had been captured and - 49,. y
ed By the vessel be was now on. 49,.
dead man and the one below were 49, 49, Z.
ve Algerians, as wers most Of the ~, 49, Z.
. crew. .as !"
n the previous night. when the ~ ~
went down. they got out in shelr o"eS
and towed the brig about q mile
entire crew. with the execution
be four men. then armed them. :, :.
- and the boats set out to attack 4, = =
What followed could BE- pretty Z nse'
, guessed at Tho four boats 10. -.l
IN company when a whale struck 80 ~
asst one Of them az he came IN -,'y
lust have thrown this boat many "r,en
In the afr. He might then have "
on the Others. or shattered them ~. !"
. rap Of bis huses. but that be 49, q
Dyed them the evidence was BE-. 80 y
he. gIJ on
u Q man had escaped. ana IN. n-ulon
Of being captured and forced 10 w ,a ~
the plank, as We had reason n - '"'
{ we had turned about and oap.
the 7iratical craft without arIng
{ She was a 1ne craft. can ~.
~, having over 10000 worth az 49, !.
n aboard, besides being 4 bet. 800 s-e :
ssei than our own. We carrlea 80 u
'wn 70 Sierra Leone. where ahe s~ 80 !, =.
oivered over to tho authoritlea ss 49, 80
,ur claim upon her. and ever ~ : 49, !,
us got comfortable Iump II ~t -. = 4
money from the adventure . 49,
was an EuoIfah 49, -. --~'A5