A REMARKABLE STORY

Southland Times, Issue 18938, 11 May 1923, Page 11

A REMARKABLE STORY

WHERE WHALES HELP MEN. THE KILLERS OF TWOFOLD BAY. (By W. Quinn.) Having ten days to spare in Sydney before our steamer the Aki Mam sailed for Japan we arranged to spend this time touring the South Coast of New South Wales. In course of our journey we arrived at the little town of Bega, where we had purposed staying for the night but finding it uninteresting we decided to push on to Eden on the coast line and arrived there shortly before dusk. Eden is situated in Twofold Bay and this name immediately wakened memories of a newspaper article I had read describing the doings of a hunting pack of great fish in these waters and how the inhabitants of the Bay used to gather on the headlands and watch the thrilling

chase. I found it very hard to believe the story as written but is pales into absolute insignificance when compared with the real facts gleaned by us on the spot. The other members of the party were P. H. Vickery of Christchurch, New Zealand and my brother Walter M. Quinn, Sydney, both shrewd level headed business men and therefore ones not likely to be “spoofed” by any cock and bull story told to them. We know the ■tory I now write will possibly be classed as a De Rougmont one but nevertheless there is not a single statement in this article which has not been checked three of four times from independent sources (we are most careful in this respect) and we ourselves are convinced of the truth whereof I now write. Twofold Bay is a large indentation in the South Coast of New South Wales, in the centre it is broken by a neck of land which divides it into two bays, hence the name Twofold. The numpback and right whales which are the one sought for by the whalers pass up this coast northwards and southwards in the colder or warmer weather, their first appearance being generally about June or July and the season extends to November. The killera are a species of whale about 20 to 30 feet in length, but unlike the humpback and right whale have teeth, aril they rise to the surface to breathe just like their brethren. They disappear from Twofold Bay after November, but sometime in June as surely as the day dawns they reappear, taking up their posts at Leatherjacket Point one of the outlying points of the Bay. Originally the killers numbered about 28, but they have now been reduced to four. It is said the Norwegian whalers ire responsible for the diminution, the Goremment of New South Wales have now stepped in protecting them as is the case of Pelorous Jack.

When the killers arrive at Leatherjacket two of them station themselves close inshore where they may be seen keeping guard, whilst the other two go out to sea scouting for whales that perchance may be passing. If a whale is intercepted the “deep sea patrol” immediately signal to their “coastgaurds” inshore and this is done by leaping out of the water and bringing down their tails with a resounding whack. The cannonlike report is heard by the other killers, whose hearing powers are abnormally developed, and one of them instantaneously starts , off at full speed for the whaling station, some miles further up the Bay. I may here digress to point out the almost human understanding of these great fish. A calf or baby whale is a choice morsel for them and they can also overcome a grampus or small whale, but the humpback and right whale •a too big for them and knowing this they enlist the help of man. We left the courier speeding for the whaling station, and, having arrived at the mouth of the little river, which hsre enters the Bay he begins to jump out of the water to attract the whalers’ attention and continues doing so until he sees the whalers running for the boats. When these are launched the killer guides them to the scene of action. During this time the two killers ar sea have been endeavouring to drive the whale into Twofold Bay so as to give the whalers their chance. When the four killers have joined forces, their ream work has been likened to that of well-trained collie dogs working sheep. -Never more than two of them are on the attack. The other two when they arrive take up positions like wing-three-quarters of a football team, a good distance from the scrum all the time swimming up and down to prevent a break through. If the whales in their huge heads had as much brains as could be contained on an egg-shell they would have no trouble in getting away, for the killers, owing to the formation of their mouths which are underneath, the upper jaw overhanging, cannot fasten on the rounded surface of the whale. All the latter would have to do would be to keep a straight line for the open sea, bat he’s a craven at heart and mortallydreads his foe who turns him thither and thither by striking blow? with the full strength of his body. When the whalers get up and make fast (i.e. harpoon the whale) the killers do all they can in the way of retarding the whaler’s movements so that the fatal lance thrust may be made. The whale being dead the killers, seizing hold of the fins and tail drag the carcase down to such depths in the ocean that the pressure of the water causes it to remain, and they then feast right royally on the tongue and juicy portions of the mouth. This is the Killers’ reward for their share in the chase and the whalers, considering “the labourers well worthy of their hire,” are content to leave the carcase to them. First attaching a barrel to the rope, so that the whale is buoyed, at the end of 36 hours gases start to generate and the body of the whale rises to the surface and is towed to the tryout station owned by Mr George Davidson. This was what was told us, in a reply to an inquiry I made on the first night of our arrival, and on expressing my doubts at such an amazing story, the question was put: Why not go on to the whaling station yourself to-morrow and see George Davidson; anyone on Twofold Bay- will tell you that what “fearless George” Bays cannot be challenged; his word is his bond in all things. I thought this a splendid reputation for any man—fearless and true t« his word. Next morning we hired a motor launch and started for the whaling station. In the meantime, by the aid of judicious inquiries we had elicited conformation of our first information from three persons in different positions of life. We had some little difficulty in landing at the station owing to the low water, as we had no dingy with üb, but by scrambling into an old hulk we got ashore. We noticed the two whaleboats with their rowlocks carefully muffled, housed for the off season and, making our way up to the cottage, inquired for Mr Davidson. His daughter, a neatly-attired, self-possessed and pleasantly spoken young girl, replied that he was away from home. We expressed our regret, saying we were from New Zealand, and would have liked to have had a conversation with him, as we had heard such a wonderful tale regarding the killers. She quietly said, although hard to believe it is quite true and, without any prompting on our part, pointing to a spot at the mouth of the river, she said, “That is the place where the killer jumps out of the water,” etc., and she repeated the story of the “Courier” as detailed above. Miss Davidson gave us permission to look over the try-out shed and said she would send word to her f"ther, who would probably call on us at Eden in the evening. The whaling station was a primitive one, such as the late Robert McNab has described in his book “Murihiku,” and they harpoon the whales just as in the days of yore, the old-time religion being evidently good enough for them. The great boilers for trying out the blubber were thickly encrusted with congealed fat or oil, as also were the settling tanks, but there was no offensive smell. Just below was Jie slipway of legs, over which the blubber was pulled. All around lay a debris of whalebones, bleached white by the action of the sea and weather. With a little imagination one cculd fill in details of the hunters bringing home their quarry and the scenes that ensued. Mr Davidson called on us at our hotel in the evening, and we had a most con venation with him. We

found him to be a well-educated man not given to talk, but when he saw we were genuinely interested he threw off his reserve and helped us in every way possible. His manner of speaking carried conviction itself. With him was the oldest whaler in Eden, A. S. Greig, who had worked for Mr Davidson's father, so we were right at the fountain head fcr information. They both confirmed what I have written above and supplemented it by the following:— All the killers are known by name, Hookey. Tommy, Jackson, and Nipper, | each having distinguishing marks (I now ’ have photos of Hookey and Tcmmy in my i possession >. Hookey was on the job in ; Twofold Bay in the late Mr Davidson’s early ; days, so that now this fish is known to be ! over 90 years old. A. S. Greig cited an inl stance where, with Mr Davidson s father, | they had sighted from the look-out two ! whales blowing about seven miles out, and ' they set off in the forlorn hepe of catching them. Before starting, Greig signalled to : the killers by beating on the water with his oar, and immediately one called Billy (now dead) appeared and followed the boat like a terrier dog. The whales were reached in due course, but by this time all the killers had gathered and they rcunded their prey up in a bueinesslike fashion, and in consequence the whalers were ab.e to kill both whales. The killers kill the grampus by drowning, their method being as follow?: The grampus is seized by the pack and pulled to the bottom, where he is held fast; the killers come up one at a time to breathe each in turn, but the unfortunate grampus being kept down all the time, drowns; then his mouth opens and the killers tear him to pieces (Mr Davidson is the authority for this statement).

The. inhabitants of Eden maintain that the killers know Mr Davidson personally, but he will net agree to this; yet there is the well-authenticated incident of his having been thrown out of the boat by the jumping of the line after having been fast to a whale. The boat sped on leaving him far behind, but one of the killers came up and swam alongside until he was picked up. thus protecting him from the sharks which abound in the bay. In reply to a direct question from me Mr Davidson said these facts w’ere correct; but he could give no reason why the killer should act in this way. There is no shadow of doubt but that the killers know the Twofold boats. A Captain Power, from Sydney, who was whaling made a wager with Davidson that this was not so. and the opportunity of proving soon came. Two whales appeared, and each of the boats made fast, but when Power had struck, the killers immediately left his boat and joined Davidson’s pack, whose whale was soon killed. In the meantime Powers’ whale had broken away, sc Davidson with his augmented pack of hunters set off in pursuit of the escapee and he, too, was killed; Captain Power, to his cost, learning that the killers do know their own beats. Night makes no difference to the killers. They signal to the whaling station at any hour, and if unable to get response, they have been known to drive a whale into a bay which has a comparatively small entrance, and like sentinels on guard, keep faithful watch. These great fish swim to and fro across this, waiting for the dawning of the day and their human helpers. Such is the marvellous story of the killers of Twofold Bay, a working partnership between man and the denizens of the deep, which exemplifies the proverb that truth is stranger than fiction.