The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-09-21
CANOEMEN
CAN TRAVEL SOME
Make Better Time Than Big
Power Boats on West
Coast.

SEATTLE, Wash, Sept. GA sal.
mon fisherman came in to Seah Bay
and reported that he had sighted a
whale spouting.
Instantly the entire Indian popu.a.
ton was tremendously excited. There
was a rush for the boats and canoes
on the beach. A few OF the Indians
own power boats which they use for
fishing for salmon and halibut.
Within half an hour the feet was
away. Lighthouse Charley, who by
now is a good friend OF mine, found
room for me in his big dugout. l had
always wanted TO take part in q whale.
hunt.
My first regret that l had not Sc.
cured a place in u power boat van.
ished when | saw that such canoes
as ours, manned by eight men, were
%speedier than gasoline.
Ours was a complete whaling out.
fit OF the Indian kind. The spearman
was in the bow, padding, but with
his store of spearheads at his feet.
Behind him were seven Indians, all
padding, and sat in the bow, out
OF the way. In the bottom Of the
great dugout were many floats made
OF sealskin, turned inside-out, inflated
and alright.
There were three Of these eight
men canoes, and they were the first
10 reach the open sea. Behind us
came the power boats. with the small.
canoes and the rowboats struggling.
Our spearman had evidently gone
on whaling voyages with white men,
for he suddenly rpie and pointed,
shouting:
There she blows!"
And Lighthouse Charley answered:
Where away?"
1t was a race now. Wich canoe
should first reach the whale? II
spouted straight ahead, then disap-
pcared with u p%rodigious flop OF its
tall.
There she blows!"
The paddles seemed to lift the ca
noe out OF the water. The whale
came up to breathe four times. and
each time W. missed our guess.
But the fifth time 1t came up al.
most under US. and It's great drip.
ping side looked as | have imagined
a submarine must look when 1t rises
TO the surface OF the ocean.
Our spearman's arm shot out. The
whale went down with a rush that
left us dancing in the wash. And,
70! another canoe was longside. When
next the whale showed, two sealskin
floats bobbed and dangled.
A dispute arose between our crew
and the other as 10 which was en-.
titled TO the honor Of having first
speared the whale. The res OF the
fleet was getting too close, SO the
dispute ended and the race resumed.
The spearheads which the Indians
use are made OF bone and steel. To
each is fastened a float. The spear
man recover the shaft of the spear,
and the float Is whiskcd overheard
when the whale dives.
1t takes more than 100 floats to hold
up a fuli.grown whale. The Indians
cannot kill a whale quickly with this
equipment. White men shoot a har-
pooh from a gun into the whale, and
the harpoon e~xplodes.
Again and again the whale rose,
spouted and dove. And always the
iCbh puiSAGu' ITO dppcd uhI6 bG-
came more frequent.
a great shout went up when the
whale ~spouted-rot water, but blood!
That was the end. It could not sub.
merge the floats. Lines were made
fast TO the feebly struggling monster.
Then the long tow back to the beach
OF Scah Bay.
The whole town welcomed our re.
turn. The ebb Of the tide left the
whale high and dry. The cutting.up
was a messy, but joyous, party. The
blubber was cut into stripe and car.
ried away. The spearmen get the
largest shares-it is the ancient cra'
tom. The old men. women and chill
dren took what the hunters left.
Noah Bay Toasted on whale oil.
Every small child got greasy to the
ears.