TOWED BY A WHALE.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13843, 15 October 1913, Page 3 (Supplement)

TOWED BY A WHALE.

FISHERMEN'S EXTRAORDINARY

ADVENTURE

(Fro™ "Thu Colonist,'' Sept. 26.)

An extraordinary and thrilling experience t'eil to the lot of Messrs G. B. Purdue, accountant at the Post Office, and; E. Cohen, representative of the Press Association at Wakapuaka, yesterday, white fishing from a boat off Gable Bay. They had anchored about half a mile fxo*.i the beach, and were enjoying good sport, when two whales of considerable size were sighted some distance off, and coming in their direction. Not anticipating an inconveniently close approach, the fishermen remained where they Were. The whalos, however, spouting at intervals, came right up to the boat, the occupants of which were in imminent risk of being capsized. The lines were fouled, and the climax was - reached when one of the whales became entangled in some manner with the anchor line. It immediately headed at great speed to sea, with the boat and its disconcerted occupants in tow. The situation was alarming to, a degree wjien Mr Purdue, thought of a knife which had^'been thrown into the bottom of the Wtat. This/he found and ■passed'-t© Mr Cohen, who was sitting in the-^tern, and rhe\ succeeded in severing a few ' strands r -of the rope when the strain caused the latter to part. In the meantime the boat had travelled about one hundred and fifty yards, and was movinc so fast that the water was swirling from the bows. The fishermen got out their oars and lost nt) time in pulling, ashore, a little shaken in nerves by their remarkable adventure. The"'whales when last seen were heading towards the French Pass; pursued by a steam trawler which had been operating in the vicinity. Messrs -Purdue and Cohen estimated that each of the mammals was from thirty-five to forty feet in length.