TWO WHALES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 34, 4 November 1907, Page 5

TWO WHALES.

AN EXCITING CHASE. HUGE ANUUL SHOWS FIGHT.v •-""•- [dt telegraph.—own coruespondekt.] — Christchifoh,:November " ■ The Kaikoura correspondent of the. "Press 1 - , ;""" telegraphs an interesting account of citing chase b.v the local 'whalers. Oa Thursday aftenipon word , eairio. that " iviiales were cruising about in Nortli BayJ'JL and the boats, which had been hauled" up for , the season, were quickly launched. About 3 o'clock the boats sighted a big bull whalo and:an almost fully-grown calf.;,: For, mgrq,.,than an hour they gave chase,'tho whales'.*'.'' Ucoping aii oval, trade fairly close in shorp, Shortly after o o'clock at a distancoiof-aboutr.** 100 yards from the beach, Jackson harpooned the calf. . Immediately : thp drcfls of.- whom lined tho .beach, hills'ajid'hotise' '| tops, witnessed a Bcoiio of \ great! exfiiteiflent, the big whale showing fight' in protection of lits youn<;. Backwards and forwards ill front ■•' of the boat the; huge beast, endeavouring, to snap the lino." The occu-J'-"'* pants of the boat were drenched with'shmyer's' j of spray, and twice the animal touched the boat, the men just saving a, capsize each,/ time, and losing two 'oar's. After about'' ten minutes,' the harpoonaJ calf,- protected , - ■* by the larger whale, which was plunging; made 'straight for tho beach' , .withyi, tho boat in tow. Twice tho big bue'-'waa , ". , lanced, and though it :v spoutod showers of spray, and the water was tinted with blood, it did not to be vitally, hit,: WitlilrEVT two chains of' the' shore the' aninials'■'ma'do'-'.'V northwards, when suddenly the harpoon gani., . way at the Sliank, and jtho .whalp,3.; ; disap- " pearcdi'iAfter.aifew .minutes' wauy-thcrqyfe&iH ing no ..-reappearance, of., the whales, : th«:- j men was a piece of, bad'hicL; I '-*! for them,, for.it was the only time'this soa'-. \ son..they..havcvibeeu' c-o near capturing β-y piixo. ' I : 'Th<J,.yalue.of-Hip whales v.'oiildhav«f--i run itito several'''hundreds of pounds. son had another-Jmrpoon, but ho serving this, for a favourable shot I 'at ..tho _ r larger whale,;■ The men. were out early- yes-f,. ■ .-,• tcrday morning-tb6ee if- the doad bodioa.wofiis ; -|; about, •for: at- tho timo'thc' harpoon, both whales scorned, nearly spent;,; There ', Was'no'sign of them; but'during the'morniiij! t . another-,whalo wassightcd. ._ . ■■■■-.