THE WHALE THAT FENCED A SECTION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3012, 24 February 1917, Page 10

THE WHALE THAT FENCED A SECTION

A STORY OF WELLINGTON'S PANTALOON DAYS:

Wellington was not always a bright, bustling city and port. Long ago, before tho days of petroleum and its many by-products, whale oil was very much more in demand than it is to-day. One of tho stand-by industries of the port was whaling, and the presence of whales in or near the harbour set the waterside in a flutter of excitement. On one occasion, Mr. Richard B. Hay-, bittle {who will be ninety-three years of age to-morrow), relates, he was engaged on the waterfront; when an old whaler shouted: "There she spouts!!' And true enough, not far off, whero the Queen's Wharf, now stands, was sighted a fine big "right" whale. Soon all was activity, and Jim and Barney Riley, both whalers, secured the boat that Bethune .and Hunter always kept properly equipped for a whale hunt. There was also Pan Harfield, another whaler, and the crew was made up by Mr. Haybittle taking the tub oar. By the time they got the boat out the whale had disappeared, hiit thev went out and around Somes Island, looking for their quarry, and'not sighting it, pulled over towards Ngahauranga, where the Rilcys mounted the hill to; see if they could see. the whale spouting. But there was nothing doing, so thoy came back to town- for lunch. While they were satisfying the healthy appetites created by their long pull, the news reached them that the whale was stranded off Clay Point (where Stewart Dawson's treasure house now stands), and before they could get their boat out again another whaler had scurried out in the Customs boat and put an ' iron into the floundering monster. With her efforts .she managed to. get into deeper water; when the whale at once'. sounded; terring the boat after it. . Away it went like a -super-submarine .'across the darting in this way. an'd that, But the boat's crew, being inexperienced in tho work, were nnable to get within killing distance. The Rileys, choking with chagrin at being beaten for the whale (for the whale belongs to the man- who .first put an iron into it, according to the strict law of whaling), at length decided to get out and strike a bargain with the inefficients in the Customs boats. Off Evans Bay a bargain was struck, and the experts soon got to work, and successfully lanced the whale; ■' "Lean remember'it as though it were yesterday," said Mr. Haybittle, • "Dan Harfield was at the after oar and I was at the tub par, and Dan half turning in his(seat, as we. pulled after the whale; saying to me: 'Post and rails, old stocking !•' What he meant requires telling. (He and I had bought sections in Cuba Street, right opposite where Te Aro House now stands. It was* at an auction sale, conducted by Jimmy Smith, and old Johnny Martin ran me up until/I shook my fist, in his face. Anyhow,'l bought a section and Dan. bought .the one next me, but we were so' stumped for. money that we hadn't enough to fence the sections, when along/ came the whale, which gave us the money* to buy the posts and rails. We cut.her in and tried her out in Fly Bay (now Oriental Bay), and we got £19 16s. per man out of her, whilst the others in tho Customs boat got £15 each: Whales were whales in those 'days, I can tell youl"