The other boat containing one of the mates and 9 seamen landed safely at the Barbados after being in the boat 9 days with but 5 gallons of water and a little ship bread. [Illustration: TWO FAMOUS OLD WHALERS, BARKS ROUSSEAU AND DESDEMONA] LOSS OF THE SHIPS ANN ALEXANDER AND ESSEX. Cases of whales rushing head on are very rare. One instance which will be remembered by some of the older residents of the city was in 1851, when the ship Ann Alexander was sunk in the Pacific ocean by a maddened whale. In the Whaleman's Shipping List of Nov. 4, 1851, is a very full account of that occurrence. The story, which is substantially as follows, first appeared in the Panama Herald, as told by Captain John S. Deblois, follows: The ship Ann Alexander sailed from New Bedford, June 1st, 1850, for a cruise in the South Pacific. Having taken 500 barrels of sperm oil in the Atlantic, Captain Deblois proceeded on the voyage to the Pacific. On the 20th of August, 1851, while cruising on the "Off Shore grounds," at 9 o'clock in the morning, whales were discovered, and at noon of the same day succeeded in making fast to one. The mate's boat made fast to the whale, which ran with the boat for some time, and then suddenly turning about rushed at the boat with open jaws, crushing the little craft into splinters. Captain Deblois rescued the boat's crew. Later the waist boat was lowered from the ship and another attack made upon the leviathan. The mate again in charge of the attacking boat experienced another smashup, for in the battle the whale again turned on the boat's crew and crushed the second boat. The crew was saved and all hands returned to the ship, which proceeded after the whale. The ship passed on by him, and immediately after it was discovered that the whale was making for the ship. As he came up near her they hauled on the wind and suffered the monster to pass her. After he had fairly passed they kept off to overtake and attack him again. When the ship had reached within about 50 rods of him the crew discovered that the whale had settled down deep below the surface of the water, and as it was near sundown, it was decided to give up the pursuit. The ship was moving about five knots, and while Captain Deblois stood at the rail he suddenly saw the whale rushing at the ship at the rate of 15 knots. In an instant the monster struck the ship with tremendous violence, shaking her from stem to stern. She quivered under the violence of the shock as if she had struck upon a rock. The whale struck the ship about two feet from the keel, abreast the foremast, knocking a great hole entirely through her bottom, through which the water roared and rushed in impetuously. The anchors and cables were thrown overboard, as she had a large quantity of pig iron aboard. The ship sank rapidly, all effort to keep her afloat proving futile.