"Finally the whale swam away dragging the two boats away with him."

Perhaps an 1890s sailor was truly swallowed alive by a whale and lived to tell about it, or perhaps, more likely, the editors from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle had truly swallowed lots of alcohol. From that newspaper’s July 12, 1891 edition:

“The whaling vessel Star of the East arrived here yesterday, after a cruise of the two years and a half in the South Atlantic waters. She had on board a man who is a veritable Jonah, having existed in a whale’s belly thirty-six hours.

The man’s statement is vouched for by the captain and crew of the vessel, and today he is an object of great curiosity among the sailors. The man’s name is James Bartley and he hails from New Bedford, where he was born thirty-eight years ago. He had made two voyages from this port on the Star of the East, and notwithstanding his exciting experience during his last trip he says that he will ship for another voyage as soon as an opportunity to do so offers itself.

The strange story told by him is, in substance, as follows:

Last February the Star of the East was in the vicinity of the Falkland Islands searching for whales, which were very scarce. One morning the lookout sighted a whale about three miles away on the starboard quarter. Two boats were manned and put chase to the prey.

In a short time one of the boats was near enough to enable the harpooner to send a spear into the whale, which proved to be an exceedingly large one. With the shaft in his side the animal sounded and then sped away, dragging the boat after him with terrible speed. He swam straight away about five miles, when he turned and came back almost directly toward the spot where he had been harpooned. The second boat waited for him, and when but a short distance away from him he arose to the surface. As soon as his back showed above the surface of the water the harpooner in the second boat drove another spear into him. The pain apparently crazed the whale, for it thrashed about fearfully, and it was feared the boat would be swamped and the crews drowned. Finally the whale swam away dragging the two boats away with him. He went about three miles and sounded or sank, and his whereabouts could not be exactly told. The lines attached to the harpoons were slack and the harpooners began to slowly draw them in and coil them in the tubs. As soon as they were tautened the whale arose to the surface and beat about his tail in the maddest fashion. The boats attempted to get beyond the reach of the animal, which was apparently in its death agonies, and one of them succeeded, but the other was less fortunate. The whale struck it with his nose and upset it. The men were thrown itno the water and before the crew of the other boat could pick them up one man was drowned and James Bartley had disappeared.

When the whale had become quiet from exhaustion the waters were searched for Bartley, but he could not be found, and under the impression that he had been struck by the whale’s tail and sunk to the bottom, the survivors rowed back to the ship. The whale was dead and in a few hours the great body was lying by the ship’s side and the men were busy with axes and spades cutting through the flesh to secure the fat. They worked all day and a part of the night. They resumed operations the next forenoon, and were soon down to the stomach, which was to be hoisted to the deck. The workmen were startled while laboring to clear it and to fasten the chain about it to discover something doubled up in it that gave spasmodic signs of life.

"He was placed in the captain’s quarters, where he remained two weeks a raving lunatic."

The vast pouch was hoisted to the deck and cut open, and inside was found the missing sailor doubled up and unconscious. He was laid out on the deck and treated to a bath of sea water, which soon revived him, but his mind was not clear and he was placed in the captain’s quarters, where he remained two weeks a raving lunatic. He was carefully treated by the captain and officers of the ship and he finally began to get possession of his senses. At the end of the third week he had entirely recovered from the shock and resumed his duties. The skin on the face and hands of Bartley has never recovered its natural appearance. It is yellow and wrinkled and looks like old parchment. The health of the man does not seem to have been affected by his terrible experience; he is in splendid spirits and apparently fully enjoys all the blessings of life that come his way.”