The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-07-29
THRILLS OF WHALE HUNTING

the newest whalers, sighted a huge
bull fin-back the speediest and gam
est of the whale tribe off Cape Spear,
four miles from st. Johns, and, APP
preaching cautiously, pumped a har
pooh into the towering side of the UNI
suspecting monster. With a terrific
roar of agony, the big fish" sped
away at top speed through the ocean,
towing the ship after him by the line
that held the harpoon. Then, find
ing that this did not relieve him, he
sounded" or dived straight down
into the murky depths, giving the
while a series of angry jerks which
set the ship rolling bulwarks under.
*#&
The stout line, especially woven for
this work, whirred through the hawse-
pipe as if a locomotive was tearing it
out, and the friction so heated the
wood and iron grooves that they had
to be sluiced with buckets of sea wa
ter.
After descending for hundreds of
fathoms. the whale was forced to re-
turn again to breathe, and shot to the
surface at lightning speed, hurting
himself clear out of the water for his
whole length, as if thrown up by some
volcanic eruption in the depths, bel
lowing with rage the while, so as to
be heard for many miles, and churn-
ing the sea into froth with the agon-
lied blows of his powerful tail.
When he emerged it was seen
that the harpoon had been DETECTED,
and had hit him in the gristIy part
near the tail, leaving him little the
worse and fit for hours of battle, be-
sides being as ugly" as a rogue ele-
plant. This he soon proved, for when
his great steel blue body fell upon
the water again with the force of an
explosion he circled round and round
and, suddenly deserving the ship,
made for it with vicious below and
redoubled energy, heading through
, whole body quivering with rage.
; Speedily he swung round and round
and attacked it again, but the ship
, was sent out of his way, and thus
{ the struggle continued hour after
hour into the night. while the ship
. with her bulk of hull, her lading OF
2 coal and equipments and her crew of
2 ten men was dragged along behind
him at a speed of about twelve knots
an hour, though her engines were re
h versed at equal speed
/, #%%
Y For quite a time the monster would
e persist in his efforts to destroy the
?, ship, but without avail, and then
). more furious still, and believing mad
), ly, would speed again for miles, ca
e reering along the surface of the wa
n ter and beating a very fiend's tattoo
e with the triphammer blows of hi
N powerful tail Every now and agaii
is he would leap out of the brine his ful
Ie length, curve himself with rage an
Of agony, and fall back again with
le laundering crash
IS Frequently during the night he II
m newed the attack upon the ship, an
n the weary-eyed and peril-racked Gre
at had to strain every nerve to escap
1t the wiles of this sturdy, relentless el
50 envy. Each hour as it passed Shove
Y. him in full career, baffed by his III
H. known but terrifying pursuer, y,
az game to the last. AS the dawn of
OF new day broke he was seen to be les
active, but as determined as ever
On destroy the ship, and made repeate
in though less dangerous attempts
ey get her. In somber gray Of the NOR
W. ing men and whale were worn out, IL
es former from anxiety, the latter fro
Oh the almost incredible exertions he h'
m made. He was still towing the shi
but at a gradually lessening pace, al
of soon the Viking fitted another ha