The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-12-10
Mtsrellameous.
AMERICAN WHALE FISHERY


brilliant success. The occupants of this region
OF the country, cast along the sea-shore, and
upon soil barren, rocky, and inviting in very
small degree the abors of agriculture, at an
early period directed their adventurous enter
prises to the sea. Yet their extraordinary vigor
and daring, aided by the elasticity Of their eli
mate, their comparative poverty and their sim
pie virtues, more than counterbalanced the con
sequences which would otherwise have resulted
from the barrenress of their soil. The popula-
ton bordering the shores of the sea turned their
attention to its abundant resources, and their
farms were on the ocean. Nor did the remarkable
traits of hardihood and perseverance which they
exhibited in this branch Of commerce, running
down TO the period Of the revolution, escape the
notice of distinguished statesmen abroad
Their enterprise in this respect it is well known,
received just and splendid euloginm from Ed
mund Burke, on the floor Of the British Para-
ment, in his speech delivered in l774, upon
American affairs. AS to the wealth. said he,
(which the colonists have drawn from the sea
by their fisheries, you had all that matter fully
opened at your bar. You surely thought these
acquisitions of value, for they seemed TO excite
your envy and yet the spirit by which that en-
terprising employment has been exercised ought
rather, in my opinion, TO have raised esteem and
admiration. And pray, sir, what in the world
is equal to it2 Pass by the other parts, and look
al the manner in which the New England people
carry on the whale fishery. While we follow
them among the tumbling mountains Of ice, and
behold them penetrating into the deepest frozen
recesses Of Hudson's Bay and Davis's Straits
while we are looking for them beneath the arctic
circle, we hear that they have pierced into the
opposite region of polar cold-that they are at
the antipodes, and engaged under the frozen ser
pent Of the south Falkland Island which
seemed too remote and too romantic an object
for the grasp of national ambition, is but stage
and resting place for their victorious industry
Nor Is equinoctial heat more discouraging to
them than the accumulated winter of both the
poles We learn that while some of them draw
the line or strike the harpoon the coast of AT
RIGA, others run the longitude, and pursue their
gigantic game along the coast of Brazil No
sea but what is vexed by their fisheries, no eli
mate that is not witness to their toll Neither
the perseverance of Holland, nor the activity of
France, nor the dexterous and firm sagacty of
English enterprise, ever carried this most peri
lous mode Of hardy industry to the extent to
which il has been pursued by this recent people
"a people who are still in the gristle, 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
whole sweep Of the ocean. ColoniZed, as it
first was by an adventurous and hardy race of
settlers from other parts of Massachusetts, the
colonists had ample means and motives TO push
their enterprises upon the waters of its neigh
boring coasts. We have traditionary account
Of the first expedition which was set on foot
from this island for the capture of the whale. 1t
appears that one Of the species called 'scragg'
was described in the harbor of the infant colony,
where II remained spouting and gamboling
around the shore for three days Measures were
soon adopted by the settlers, who were the orr
ginal purchasers of the island, for its capture
A harpoon, rude IN its form, was invented and
wrought; and after severe contest, the mon
ster was taken. The success of this advenrute
induced the people Of that place to commence
the enterprise of taking whales as regular bu-
siness, these animals being at that time very nu-
merous around the coast and as early as 1879,
we find the inhabitants entering into a formal
contract with James Lopar, in which he en-
cages to carry on the ''whale etching" bust
ness jointly with the town for two years, on their
giving to him ten acres OF land In some conve-
nient place, with commonage for two cows and
twenty sheep and one horse, together with the
necessary wood and water. The town were by
this contract bound to carry on two-thrds Of the
business, and himself the other third. This
company was TO have the monopoly of the trade,
and no other company 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 /" phosoerer Kill any
whale Of The company or cOmpdny's aforesaid,
they are TO pay to the town for every such whale
five shillings." John Savage a hardy New
England man, was also procured to settle upon
the island in the capacity Of a cooper, upon
nearly the same terms which had been made by
the propretors Of the town with Lopar. We
may suppose that the profits Of this crude frame
of enterprise were small, but they were at least
suflici mt TO induce the prosecution OF this spe
ces Of traffic.
Meanwhile, the people of Cape Cod had
reached considerable proficiency in this branch
of enterprise, and their success induced the fish
ermen of Nantucket TO adopt more vigorous and
systematic measures for its prosecution. Ac-
cordingly, we find the inhabitants employing
lchabod Paddock, as early as 1890, TO instruct
them respecting the best manner of taking the
whale and extracting the oil. The whaling ex-
petitions from that port were then carried on In
boats from the shore, and white colonists de-
rived important aid from the Indians, who man
ifested extraordinary aptness for the fishery OF
all kinds; and being placed IN responsible sta
tons as boat-steerers and headsmen, they soon
became experienced and valuable whalemen.-
These beats, in search of their game, often ven
tured even out of sight of land during the plea
SAINT days of winter, and performed feats 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 TO capstan, was used TO 'heave Off
the blubber as fast as il was cut. This blubber
was then placed in carts, and conveyed TO the
try houses situated near their dwellings, where
the oil was boiled out and prepared Tor market.
For the purpose of enabling the fishermen to
descry whales at distance a high spar was
erected upon the shore, with cleats affixed TO the
top, where the whalcman with his spy-glass
could be securely lodged and command broad
view of the ocean No sensible diminution of
the whales upon the coast appears to have ex-
isied for the first thirty years of the fishery, al
though eighty six were taken near the shore du-
ring the year 1926, and eleven were sometimes
towed TO the land in one day