WHALING AT CAMPBELL ISLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2895, 8 September 1909, Page 8

WHALING AT CAMPBELL ISLAND.

INVERCAROILL, September 2. I ' Some considerable interest has been manifested as to what report the 6.5. Hinemoa would bring of the doings of the whaling party which went down to the - Campbell Islands last January. The Hinemoa reached the Campbells oh Thursday, .August 26, and learned that the whaling party had up to date captured ■ 17 whales, and. had whalebone to the j value of £2000. On July 23 the boat waa smashed and most of the gear was lost, , including thfe bomb exploder. This loss has practically put an end to "whaling operations until the new gear arrives. Some of the men had narrow escapee from drowning. H. Norton wa« Touted with the line, and towed some- distance by the whale. Fortunately the launch was handy, and picked ail the -men uo. The Hinemoa* shipped 74 bales of wool belonging to the island party, and a 'quantity of whalebone. -Messrs H. Merley and Thomas also came s up by the Hinemoa to procure newi whaling gear. x September 3. Members of the whaling - party at Campbell Islands, some of -whom returned by the Hinemoa, btated that the 11 whales captured produced anything up to £200 per whale. They said that had they had a trying-out .plant they would have been able to obtain about eight tuns of oil each, which would have added about £112 to the value of each whale. The syndicate expected to clear about £200 per man. "Bullen?" remarked .Mr Heberly, one of the . returned members of the party, to a News representative, " I don't think Mr Frank T. -Bullen ever went whaling in his life. He wae a sailor, no doubt, but virhen lie talks - about whaling he talks ' rot.' I don't think he knows anything about it. Fancy" catching whales in caves ! I tell you, his stories are . ' rot,' " and Mr * Thorns, another member, heartily con-, curred. -