Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia/Series 1/Volume 4/Whale Fishing of the Solorese
WHALE FISHING OF THE SOLORESE.[1]
Solor is an island lying to the east of Flores and to the north of Timor, under which residency it is placed. The inhabitants of the coast of this island are Mahomedans in name, but they are nevertheless hard arrack drinkers, and gain their livelihood by fishing, the produce of which they exchange with the mountaineers for maise, the production of the ground, which the population cultivate for their subsistence, the soil there being of too volcanic a nature to grow rice.
These inhabitants of the shore are hardy mariners and fishers, and think nothing of approaching the whale with their little boats eight feet long, to attack the unwieldly monster and tow him to the shore. The way in which they capture him is as follows, Each morning all the boats put to sea to search for their prize. When a whale is observed, they make a signal to each other, and immediately every one is prepared for the attack. This takes place in small boats, in which 6 or 8 men with small paddles row sitting. A harpooner stands in front with his harpoon, net of the best kind, which is fastened to the beat with a rattan rope of 15 or 20 fathoms, On approaching the whale the harpooner springs on its back, and drives the harpoon, which is fastened to the boat, with all his force into the animal. The whale on feeling the harpoon, immediately darts away and dives to the bottom, and of course takes the boat with him. The crew remain swimming, until they are taken up by the other boats. The whale is soon obliged to come up, and the boat generally appears with it; the surrounding boats approach it and make a second, third and fourth heat fast to the first, in order to impede the whale by the heavy drag. Being thus hindered from making rapid progress, other boats are enabled to run alongside the sea monster and to disable him entirely. The beast is still far from dead when they already crowd upon his huge carcass cutting and chopping when the animal is really dead, he is towed in triumph to the shore, drawn up, and cut to pieces. Every one is ready, women and children assist, and it is a real holiday for them fo dispose of such a sea monster. Every one, small and great, runs with the blubber, which they speedily carry to the mountains, to barter it for maise; while they all give themselves up to unusual enjoyment.
The oil is not boiled out, but the blubber is hung up in the sun, to allow it to drop; the train oil running out of it is then caught in vessels, it is of a nauseous odour, but it is nevertheless made use of by the inhabitants. They find much ambergris floating in the sea; they also kill many sharks, dry the fins and gather birds nests, all which productions are sold to the Bugis traders for the Chinese market. The payment is made in arrack, copper work, parangs and iron. The last article is wrought by them for the construction of their prahus, which they call "Kora-kora."
The village which most applies itself to the whale fishery is Lamakera on the north east part of the island of Solor, and lying within the Strait. It is the largest, most prosperous and most populous. The four other Mahomedan villages are Layayong, Andanara, Lamahala and Trong, which three last are situated on the island Andanara.
- ↑ Translated from the Tijdschrift Voor Nederlandsch Indie 1849 p. 66.