A SHIP ATTACKED BY A WHALE.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1076, 19 April 1882, Page 2

A SHIP ATTACKED BY A WHALE.

.__ _ — *___ . A telegram was recently published stating that the schooner Pet had foundered off the Australian coast from a pummelling received from a sperm whale. ,An old '? Whaler," writing to the Westport Times, thus recounts a similar incident occurring within his own experience : — * c The writer of this Mr Editor, can prove that the ship Surprise, owned by one of the largest shipowners in the United Kingdom, was destroyed thus-wise; We were cruising, on, the qff-ground between Lobos de Afuera and Lobos Tieira when the joyful sound arose (to all who make whaling , a calling) * "There she spouts.' The reply was where away having been responded to, three out of five boats were in the water, and at a lightning speed off to give battle to the marine monsters. They were three in number — a bull, cow, and calf. Unfortunately, the second mate made fast to the cow ; she immediately sounded, the calf making most hideous appeals, when up went second boat | and made fast to the calf. At that [ time things began to look brisk, the old bull whale lashing his tail in a most violent manner. The boat I was in was very close to him, and had we then the modern appliance (a bomb lance) and put a charge of dynamite into him it would have been all over. However this was not the case, and the old fish after taking a sinister look at the boat, made straight for the ship, butted her in main chains on the port side, passed under the vessel's bottom, and again struck her on the starboardside. In about an hour afterwards tliQ

vessel foundered. We were picked up three days after by the Peruvian brig Pexadores, and safely landed at Callao."