A GREAT SEA FIGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 275, 14 November 1908, Page 2

A GREAT SEA FIGHT.

SWOKDFISI! v. WHALE. A\YK-INSI'IULN<j M'JiCTAI'LE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland. Last Night. Although great battles an; fought to a linish at sou between tdie monsters of the deep, it is not often that man is privileged to watch the contests. On Wednesday moruiiig the lisiiing-boat Daisy was between I'onui island and C'oromandel. when the e rew sighted what appeared at iirst to he the surface eft'ect. of a submarine disturbance. The water was being splashed ill all directions. and then through the spray the dark body of a whale was secii making all haste to the, spot. Tlie men °u the Daisy saw a big cow whale which had been haunting the (julf waters lor soaie considerable time, accompanied by hot calf, engaged in a light with ail enormous swordlish. iM. I). Simmonds, wuo was on the Daisy, t°-day related the story of the light. He said it was a magnilieent and awe-inspiring spectacle to watch the great cow whale fighting for her life, bui more particularly for her calf. The whale's weapon of offence is tlie enormous tail, and the leviathan was plunging and striking in all directions in -her endeavors to disable her cunning foe. Occasionally the liukes of the swordtish were *een as he rose from a dive. hi» game evidently being to strike {lie whale from beneath' with his .powerful sword, but the bigger lish circled round and sent up columns of water so that the assailant was unable to secure a good opportunity for a thrust. Over a quarter of an hour after the arrival of the boat the light raged, and then afler a fruit less dive the swordlisli came, up close and made a, thrust at the calf, but instead received a crushing blow fnun the mother whales enormous liukes across the middle ■*»!* Ms hack. That blow, delivered with many tons of energy behind il, settled the 'Wonlii-h. The swordlisli was stunned aixl apparently partially paralysed by the blow from the whale, and he -was killed and hauled on board witho.it much diiliculty, while the. whale and her ,-alf went oil' towards C'oromandel with triumphant splashing and plunging. The swordlish was brought to Auckland annd placed in the freezing chambers at the Auckland Farmer-*' Freezing Com- . pany's works, where a number of in- , (crested people assembled to see it. Tlie fMi from tail to the tip of the sword , was 12ft (iin in length, ami the -sword ! itself was, 4ft long. The girth at the i middle of the body was 4ft Gin, and. ( put on the scales, the huge carcase ( weighed just on (iewt. j