Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1840-11-30
MONTPELIER, NOV. 80, 1910.


been pursued by this recent people-a people who
are still in the griste, and not yet hardened into
manhood"
This traffic was commenced in Nantucket, an
island in Massachusetts, which looks Out upon the
Atlantic and receives upon its shores the whoIe
sweep of the Colonized, MS it first wns, by
an adventurous and hardy race OF settlers from
other parts of Massachusetts, the coonsts had am
pie means and motives to push their enterprises
upon the waters Of its reighboring coasts. we
have Evolutionary account of the first expedition
which set OIL foot from this island for the cap
tire of the whale. 1t appears that one oil the spe-
cies called scragg' was discried in the harbor oil
the infant colony, where it remained spouting and
gambong around the shore for three days
Measures were soon adopted by the settlers, who
were the original purchasers of the sland for its
capture. A harpoon, rude in its form, was inven-
ted and wrought and after severe contest, the
monster was taken. The success OF this adveu-
tnre induced the people Of that place to com
mence the enterprise of taking whales as regular
business, these animals being at that time very
numerous around the coast and, as early as 1879
we find the Inhabitants entering into n formal con-
tract with James Lopar, in which he engages 10
carry on the 'whale catching business jointly
with the town for two years, on their giving 10
him ten acres of land in some convenient place,
with conlnonage for two cows and twenty sheep
and one horse, together with the necessary wood
bound TO carry lwo-thirds of the business, and
himself the other third. This company was to
have the monopoly ofthe trade and no other com
pany was permitted to engage in the traffic unless
they should tender to this first organized body
portion of its shares. 1t was also provided that
'0hosseuer kill any ,Ohaie Of he company compa
nyS aforesaid they to pay 10 the town for eve
ry such whale five slillings. John Savage hnr
dy New England man, was also procured 10 set
tic upon the island in the capacity Of a cooper,
upon nearly the same terms which had been made
by the proprieors of the town with Lopez. We
may suppose that the profits Of this crude frame
of enterprise were small, but they were at least
sufficient induce the prosecution of this species
ofiraffc.
Meanwhile, the people of Cape Cod had reach
ed considerable proficiency in this branch of enter
prise, and their success induced the fishermen of
Nantucket to adopt more vigorous and systematic
measures for its prosecution Accordingly we
End the inhabitants employing lchabod Paddock,
as early as 1890, TO instruct them respecting the
best manner taking the whale and extracting the
oil. The whaling expeditions of that port were
then carried on in boats from the shore, and the
white colonists derived important aid from the
Indians who manifested extraordinary aptness for
the fishery OF all kinds and being placed in res
ponsble stations as boat steerers aud headHmen,
they soon became experienced and valuable whale
men. These boats in search Of their game, often
vehtured even ont of sight of land during the pleas
ant days OF winter, and performed teais which are
scarcely exceeded in Our own day. After the
whale had been killed, he was towed ashore, and
an Instrument termed crab and which was
similar 10 capstan, was used to 'heave off The
blubber as fast as It was cut. This blubber was
then placed in carts, and conveyed to lighthouses
situated near their dwellings, where the oil was
boiled out and prepared for market. For the pur-
pose of enabling the fishermen to descry whales
at Distance high spar was erected upon the
IL a
wha'eman with his spy glass could he securely
lodged and command broad view of the ocean.
No sensible diminution of the whales upon the
coast appears to have existed for the first thirty
years ofthe fishery, although eighiy-six were ia.
ken near the shore during the year 172G, and elev
en- were sometimes lowed TO the land in one day.
We are informed that the first spermaceti whale
known 10 the inhabitants was found dead and a
shore upon the southwestern part of the island
and here arose several conflicting claims to the
right of property in this dead monster-the lndi-
ans claiming it by right of finding; the whites on
the ground OF their ownership ofthe island, and the
crown Selling il by virtue OF the well known prin-
pie of the laws of England, giving TO the King
certain property which is discovered to have no
visible owner, and in discussion which Mr. Justice
Blackstone, if we remember right specially desig-
mates a stranded whale. The matter was, howev-
er at length adjusted, and the white men who first
found it were permitted TO hold the properly, the
To Christopher Hussey, Nantucket whale
man, belongs the honor ofcapturing the first sper.
maceti whale, and his feat was performed during
the year l7l2, so far il be ascertained. This
man, while cruising near the shore for right
whales the species which had been the principal
kind captured by the Nantucket whalemen, was
blown off from the shore, a.d lalling in with a
school of that specie, he succeeded in capturing
one, and towing him into port. This event gave
n new impulse TO the whale fishery on the ocean,
for vessels of thirty tons were soon built for the
purpose of extending this traffic. These vessels
were ftied out for cruises of about six weeks, and
carried few hogsheads, capable of containing
the blubber Of only une whale which after they
had captured they returned home, when the own.
ers took The bubber and prepared the oil for mar
ket, despachng the vessel upon another voyage.
The boiling was done in try houses, which were
erected near the landing, and the outfits and APP
paratus were placed in warehouses, situated near
the same place. The substitution Of vessels for
boats constituted a new epoch in the expeditions
of these Nantucket whalemen, as the whales were
expected to be diminished; and in l7l5, The num-
her of vessels engaged in the whaling business
from this port was SIX, all of them sloops OF from
thirty to forty tons hurlhen, and producing fll00
amounting in our currency to $4SsS SO.
Such was the germ of the whale fishery in this
country, and circumstances TRANSFERRED which were
calculated to extend its operations Larger yes
sells were soon Introduced as motives Tor the BUSH
ness increased, and the enlargement ottheir mum.
her of course required an additional number of
men, that the island could not furnish The force
to man their ships This deficiency was howev-
ever, supplied Ivy seaInen from Long Island, rs
well MS various parts Of Cape Cod. But the con-
sumption oil oil did nor increase with the augmen-
taiion of the number of the ships and the quanli-
~ OF oil which was oblainsi. Indeed the do
mesc sale was Frequently dull, and The whale
fishermen began to look 10 foreign maker. Bos-
ton, al this tine furnished the chief depot for the
Oil of The Nantucket whaemen, and il was Gus
tomnry for the merchants of that city to order
large quantities of whale oil from Nantucket, and
TO export it to England in their own vessels from