ADVENTURES OP SOUTH SEA WHALING.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXIV, Issue 2783, 12 January 1869, Page 4

ADVENTURES OP SOUTH SEA WHALING.

The Chilean whaling barque Concepcion, Captain Richard Gould, when off Chatham Islands, fell in with a school of large sperm whales. Three boat 9 were immediatelylowered in pursuit, that of the third mate (Pedro Eobles, Chilean) being the first to strike a large sperm whale, which was no sooner done than the whale turned upon the boat, and taking it in its mouth, crushed it to pieces, killing one man, a native of Talcahuawo, and breaking the leg of another. The boat commanded by the second mate then fastened on the same whale, but on his turning upon the boat the men jumped overboard and saved themselves, as a few seconds afterwards the boat was crushed to pieces by his ponderous jaws. The fourth then came up in his boat and harpooned, but with exactly the same result a 8 the preceding boat. The captain sent the first mate to pick up the boat's crews, and, this having been effected, that officer was anxious to try his luck on the cause of so much mischief, but he was dissuaded'from carrying out his desires by the crew, who justly feared the consequences of 60 rash an attempt, there being at the time twenty-four men in the boat. The boat with

the crews reached the" vessels at 9 p.m. She was kept in the whaling ground all night, and on the following morning the whale was made out, still having the lines attached. The captain then had his boat lowered and proceeded in the direction of the whale, who no sooner descried his pursuers than he turned and made for the boat with open jaws, and apparently resolved to make short work of his enemies, as on the preceding day. - The capcain, however, skilfully fired a bomb-lance down his throat, aud by a dexterous manoeuvre avoided his attack ; and before the whale had time to turn again fired a second bomb-lance, which, entering at the back of his fin, effectually placed him hors de combat. It was anticipated from the size of the whale that 150 barrels sperm would have been got, but only the half was obtained. All the lines were recovered, and from the pieces of boats floating about aud picked up another boat was made. The difficulty experienced in getting the whale was a serious delay, as otherwise several of the school would have been caught.