Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

The following is an account of a wonderful sea fight, taken from a late Dublin paper:
Capt. Rochefort, of the British and Irish Company’s crew vessel Rose, arrived yesterday morning from London, and reported having on his passage fallen in with a whale of huge dimensions one morning, at two o’clock, seven miles S. W. of, the Lizard. This monster of the deep was suffering at the time in an encounter with two great enemies of his tribe-a sword fish and a thresher. These formidable creatures generally go together through the waters, and are reputed to be joined in a league of unrelenting enmity against the cetaceous animals. Capt. Rochefort and his crew saw the combat for about three quarters of an hour, but, being obliged to continue their voyage homewards, they had to forego the pleasure of witnessing the struggle to its close, and of taking in tow to Dublin the body of the vanquished whale, for of his eventually worsted in the affray there was no doubt. The sword fish was seen once driving his tremendous weapon into the belly of his victim, as he turned on his side in agony. The thresher fastened on his back, and gave him some terrific blows which were heard at a distance with great distinctness. The latter not having any power to strike in the water, it was the instinctive policy of the sword fish to make the attack from below; thus causing the whale to rise above the surface, which he did at times to a remarkable height; The other assailant which was about twenty feet long, then dealt out his blows unsparingly, with all the force of his lengthy tailfinn-between them their victim suffered extremely; he spouted blood to an immense height, and crimsoned the sea all round to a considerable distance. Being within two hundred yards of the ship towards which the whale appeared to make for protection, the conflict was distinctly visible to all on board. It is considered unusual for marine animals, such as were engaged in the struggle now narrated, to be seen at such a latitude. But this point must be settled by naturalists.