THE WHALE AND THE WHALERS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 691, 17 March 1852, Page 4

THE WHALE AND THE WHALERS.

[From the .Veto Bedford (U.S.) ilferewy.] V e have just received the following thrilling account of the destruction of the whale ship Ann Alexander, Captain John S. Deblois, of New Bedford, by a large sperm whale, from the lips cf the Captain himself, who arrived in this city from Paita on Sunday last, in the schooner Providence. It is one oi the most remarkable events on record, and will be read with interest throughout the whole commercial and civilized world where it may be made known. A similar circumstance has never yet been known to occur but once in the whole history of whale fishing, and that was the destruction of the ship Essex, some 20 or 25 years ago, and which many of our readers fully remember. We proceed to the narrative as furnished us by Captain Deblois, and which is fully authenticated by nine of the crew in a protest, under the seal of the United States' Consul, Alexander Runen, junior, at Paita. The ship Ann Alexander, Captain John S. Deblois, sailed from New Bedford, Massachusetts, June 1, 1850, for a cruise in the South Pacific for sperm whale. Having taken about 500 barrels of oil in the Atlantic, the ship proceeded on her voyage to the Pacific, Nothing of unusual interest occurred until, when passing Cape Horn, one of the men named Jackson Walker of NewP° r 1 JU All’ psh.i.t e. aged .about 2.4, ..was ios t overboatd in a storm. Reaching the Pacific, she came up the coast and stopped at Valdivia, coast of Chili, for fresh provisions, and on the -Itat cf Xt-iy Gat oho called at IPaita (or ihn purpose of shipping a man. The vessel proceeded on her voyage to the South Pacific.

On the 20th of August last she reached what is well known as the “Off-Shore Ground.” in lat. 5 deg. 50 south, long. 102 deg. west. In the morning of that day, at about 9 o’clock, whales were discovered in the neighbourhood, and about noon the same day they succeeded in making fast to one. Two boats had gone after the whales—the larboard and the starboard, the former commanded by the first mate the latter by Captain Deblois. The whale which they had struck was harpooned by the larboard boat. After running some time, the whale turned upon the boat, and, rushing at it with tremendous violence, lifted open its enormous jaws and, taking the boat in, actually crushed it into fragments as small as a common sized chair! Captain Deblois immediately struck for the scene of the disaster with the starboard boat, and succeeded, against all expectation, in rescuing the whole of the crew of the demolished boat, nine in number 1 How they escaped from instant death when the whale rushed upon them with such violence and seized their boat in its ponderous jaws is a mystery known only to “ Him who holds the waves as in the hollow of His hands.” There were now 18 men in the starboard boat, consisting of the Captain, the first mate, and the crews of both boats. lhe frightful disaster had been witnessed from the ship, and the waist-boat was called into readiness and sent to their relief. Ihe distance from the ship was about six miles. As soon as the waist-boat arrived the crews were divided, and it was determined to pursue the same whale and make another attack upon him. Accordingly they separated, and proceeded at some distance from each other, as is usual on such occasions, after the whale. In a short time, they came up to him and prepared to give him battle. The waist-boat, commanded by the first mate, was in advance. As soon os the whale perceived the demonstration being made upon him, he turned his course suddenly, and, making a tremendous dash at the boat, seized it with his wide-spread jaws, and crushed it into atoms, allowing the men barely time to escape his vengeance by throwing themselves into the ocean.

Captain Deblois, again seeingthe perilous condition of bismen, at the risk ofmcetingthesamefate, directed his boat to hasten to their rescue, and in a short time succeeded in saving them from a death less horrible than that from which they had twice so miraculously escaped. He then ordered the boat to put for the ship as speedily as possible ; and no sooner had the order been given, than they discovered the monster of the deep making towards them with his jaws widely extended. Escape from death now seemed totally out of the question. They were six or seven miles from the ship, no aid even there to afford them necessary relief, and the whale, maddened by the wounds of the harpoon and lances which had been thrown into him, and seemingly gloating with the prospect of speedy revenge, within a few cables’ length. Fortunately, the monster came up and passed them at a short distance. The boat then made her way to the ship and they all got on hoard in safety. Alter reaching the ship, a boat was despatched for the oars of the demolished boats, and it was determined to pursue the whale with the ship.

As soon as the boat returned with the oars'sail was set, and the ship proceeded after the whale In a short time she overtook a lance was thrown into his head. The ship passed on by him, and immediately after theyj discovered that the whale was makingjfor the ship. As he came up near her they hauled,onjthe wind and suffered the monster to pass her. After he had fairly passed they kept off to overtake and attack him again. Whenj the.sbip had reached within about 50 rods of him they discovered that the whale had settled down deep below the surface of the water, and as it was near’sundown they concluded to give up the pursuit. Captain Deblois was at Jthis time standing j ft the nigh-heads on the larboard bow, with cra't in hand ready to strike the monster a deadly blow should he appear, the ship moving about five knots, when working on the side of the ship he discovered the whale rushing towards her at the rale of 15 knots. In an instant the monster struck (he ship with tremendous violence, shaking her from stem to stern. She quivered undtr the violence of the shock as if she had struck upon a rock. Captain Deblois immediately descended into the forecastle, ami there, to bis horror, discovered that the monster had struck the ship about two feet from the keel, abreast the foremast, knocking a great hole entirely through her bottom, through which the waler roared and rushed in impetuously. Springing to the deck he ordered the mate to cut away the anchors and get the cables overboard to keep the ship from sinking, as she had a large quantity of pig-iron on board. In doing this, the mate succeeded in relieving only one anchor and cable clear, the other having been fastened around the foremast. The ship was then sinking very rapidly. The Captain went into the cabin, where he found three feet of water; he, however, succeeded in procuring a chronometer, sextant, and chart. Reaching the deck he ordered the boats to be cleared away, and to get water and provisions, as the ship was heeling over. lie again descended to the cabin, but the water was rushing in so rapidly that he could procure nothing. He then came on deck, ordered all hands into the boats, and was the last himself to leave the ship, which be did by throwing himself into the sea and swimm ing to the nearestboat. The ship was on her beam ends, her topgallantyards under water. They then pushed off somejdistancej from the ship expecting her to sink in a very short time. Upon an examination of the stores they had been able to save, he discovered that they had only ]•> quarts of water, and not a mouthful of provisions of any kind. The boats contained 11 men each were leaky, and, night coming on, they were obliged to bail them al! night to keep them from sinking.

Next day, at daylight, they returned to the ship, no one daring to venture on board but the Captain, their intention being to cut away the masts, and fearful that the moment the masts were cut away the ship would go down.. With a single hatchet the Captain went on board, ami cut away the roast, when the ship righted. The boats then came up, and the men by'ffie sole aid of spades, cut away the chain cable from around J.b.fi...Jorpiriast. whk .... - - . , 7_ ” 4 .“ nearly on her keel. The men then tied ropes round their bodies got into the sea, and cut holes through the deck to get out provisions. They could prornn> nothin? |>,it f. . „ ' and 201 b of wet bread. The ship sink, and they deemed it imprudent to remain by her longer, so they set sail on her boats, and left her. ’

i hey were (hen in a dreadful state of anxiety knowing that in a very few days, unless a kind 1 rovtdence should direct them to fall in with some ship, they must all die by starvation and thirst or that, to sustain life, they would be obliged to eat each other’s bodies as soon as hfe had departed! However as long as they had strength, they knew it was their .July to wait and watch patiently, and trust to that Good Bc-in? who had twice so signally saved them from the jaws of the monster ol the deep the day previous. I heir only hope was in trying to reach a rainy latitude, that, from the rain that might fall, they might sustain life. J

With this hope they directed their course northerly, and on the 22nd of August, at about oo clock p.m they had the indescribable joy of d.scerntng a ship in the distance. They made a signal and were soon answered, and in a short . me they were reached by the good ship A«nof Nantucket, Massachusetts, Captain Gibbs, i.ho toot them all on board, clothed and fed them, and extended to them in every way the greatest possible hospitality. On the succeeding day Captain Gibbs went to ■he wreck of the ill fated Ann Alexander, for the purpose of trying to procure something from her, but as the sea was rough, and the attempt considered dangerous, he abandoned the project. The Nantucket then set sail for Paita, where she arrived on the 15th of September, and where she hnded Captain Deblois and his men. Captain Deblois was kindly and hospitably received and entcrta.ned at Paita by Captain Bathurst, an English gentleman residing there, and subsequently took passage on board the schooner Promdence, Captain Starbuck, for this port, arriving here on Sunday last, the 12th inst. 6 , , C * plain Deblois entered bis protest at the United States’ Consulate, which was authenticated by the following officers and seamen on board at the time of the disaster, the two officers and the rest of the crew having shipped or. board other vessels Joseph K. Green, first mate; James Smith, third ditto ; John Morgan carpenter; James Ripley, cooper ; James M Roberts, John Smith, William M. Smith Henry Retd, and Charles F. Booth, seamen In concluding our account of this sim-ular and eventful disaster, we are requested by Captain Deblois to express to Captain Gibbs and his officers, Captain Bathurst, Captain Starbuck, and his partner, and to all others who have extended a hand of kindness towards him since bis deeadful misfortune, the most grateful and heartfelt thanks—thanks which he has no words to express, and which can only be conceived by the parties reversing the order of their respective circumstances. They will always be held in the most grateful remembrance for the true nobility and generosity of their conduct towards him in the severe trial he has been compelled to undergo.