They had been suffering due to a great famine called (Great) Tenpo famine, but thanks to this whale, the villagers managed to escape starvation.
この年は天保の（大）飢饉と呼ばれる大飢饉に見舞われ、苦しんでいたが、この鯨のおかげで、村民はどうにか餓死せずに済んだ。