A WHALE STRANDED

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 123, 11 February 1918, Page 6

A WHALE STRANDED

THE "WORM" THAT THE EARLY BIRDS CAUGHT. The "early bird catches the worm" is a jrit of philosophy often quoted, but little practised by the average man. A couple of enterprising New Brighton however, have demonstrated conclusively that not only may the early bird catch the worm, but tho early boy may even catch a whale. The lads who accomplished this feat were two little chaps named Cliff Eastwood and Bernie Ward. Early on Saturday morning the lads wore disporting themselves on the beach a few chains to the south of the pier, when their amazpment was aroused by the sight of a whale reclining on the beach. The lads covered tho distanco in record time.

The arrival of visitors did not coincide with tlie desires of the creature, and the huge fins began to flop in ominous protest; but the lads were not to bo denied, and, mounting his back, they inscribed their names on his skin with a pocket-knife, that all and sundry might see that they had staked their claim in proper order. Whether or not the lads had been reading tho adventures of mining prospectors, certain it is that they adopted a most decisive means of establishing their claim. Tlie stranded creature is known as a bottle-nosed whale. It measures 17ft. lflin. in length, while its girth is 12ft. It is of a dark slatey colour. It had a deep wound on tlie left side, which may have been responsible for its indisposition and unexpected, visit to New Brighton. In addition to this wound there are a series of scars on the leftside, as though it had been slashed with a knife. The theory was put forward by Captain Owles, who was a subsequent spectator, that the whale had been struck by a steamer, and he. raised the question as to whether the Union Steam Ship Company did not havo a claim for damages against it for the recent injuries sustained by the Maori.

Mr. Joseph Wricbt, an old wlinlcr. and nhe of a .family of five whaling brothers well known in the early days of tbe New Zealand whaling trade, odvaiiced the theory that the wbnle lind been in conflict with a swordfish. These swordfish are the. anarchists of the sea, and tho bottle-nosed whale in particular is often the victim of their pugnacious habits. Mr. Wright stated that these swordfish arc from 25ft. to 3Qft. long, and are always nri"od with an undetachablc sword. The hnbit if this gentle creature, when he nets the opportunity of indulging in his sportive instincts .is to a;et underneath the bottle-nosed whale and cut his throat, after which h" outs out tbe tongue. Mr. Wright did not smile when he told the story, and thoturh "The Sun" representative looked hard ho decided that it was not wise to contrndict.

This particular bottle-nosed whale appeared to have had unctions to undergoing the operation described, with the"result that he got badly mauled in other parts of his anatomy. Feeling sick and in need of.rest % )/i came ashore with the. full tide in the early hours of the morning. _ He was alive for seveial hours after his arrival; and. indeed, (Tul net expire until he had been helped in the by a long carving-knife, which Mr. Wright deftlv iiis-nHcel mirier the heart—in the "life," he called it. When at last the unfortunate creature was dead, he was dragged out of Hie pit which ho had made, and on to the sand higher ur> the beach. Here he will be, enclosed in a marquee and exhibited to the curious at so much per head (accord'"*! to present plans'!, after which he w*!' be cut up and bnil"(1 down to the financial advantage—let it bo hoped—of the lads who have demonstrated that "the early bird cat- J dies the worm."