The Polynesian., 1841-06-12

sells engaged in the whaling business from
this port was six, all of them sloops of
from thirty to forty tons burden, and pro-
ducing J. 100, amounting in our curren-
cy 10 $4,SSS SO.
Such was the germ Of the whale fishery
in this country, and circumstances traus-
spircd which were calculated 10 Cxtcrd
its operations. Larger vessels were soon
introduced as motive for the business IN
creased, and the enlargement ci ,Ecir
number of course required an additional
number of men, so that tie island could
not furnish the force to man their ships.
This deficiency was. however. supplied by
seamen from Long Island as well as vari-
Gus parts of Cape Cod. But the con-
sumption Of oil did not increase with tie
augmentation of the number of the ships
and the quantity of oil which was obtain
ed. Indeed the domestic sale was frc-
quentIy dull, and the whale fishermen be-
gan to look to foreign market. Boston,
at this time, furnished the chief depot for
the oil of the Nantucket whaemcn. and
it was customary for the merchants OF that
city to order large quantities OF whale oil
from Nantucket, and to export it to En-
gland in their own vessels, from which
traffic they derived considerable profit.
the oil Of the island having obtained ve-
ry high reputation in Europe. This fact
aroused the people of Nantucket to their
true interest, and they Immediately adopt
ed measures to export the products Of tic
fishery themselves, and accordingly to
reap the profits. But although the pros
pecs of success appeared bright, they
moved with great caution IN this matter.
knowing that the failure of their enter
prise would be attended with disastrous
consequences. Accordingly, about the
year l1l5. a small vessel was loaded and
despatched to Europe with cargo of oil.
The expedition was successful. and their
shipments to England and other foreign
ports were increased. This new field of
enterprise was attended with double ad-
vantage, for while they secured large
profits on these voyages, it was found that
the articles in the foreign ports to which
their ships were consigned, consisting of
iron, hardware, hemp, and sail-cloth, were
precisely Of the kind which they wanted for
the trade, and being purchased at a cheap
rate, they were admirably adapted to their
return cargoes.
But in the year 1855, the loss Of sew
eral fine ships. with their crews, by the
peri!s of the sea, or by capture-tor it is
well known that we were then at war
with Fance--threw a temporary blight
over the tra.iic, although il continued to
increase. The ships were enlarged in
size from thirty to one hundred tons bur
den and more. as whales had become
scarce upon their own ranging grounds
near the shore, and larger vessels were
required to advance further into the ocean.
a number of the larger class of vessels
was despatched 10 Davis Straits and the
Western Islands, being provided with
complete outfits. and while few made
great VOYAGES, others came honc "cieau,"
from the ignorance that thea prevailed
rcsnectinr the courses of the winds. the
proper fecdlnG-ground OF the whales, and
of all those other facts which cOlll onIy
be acquired by experience. Whaling
continued to be the main Occnpltion of
the inhabitants of that island, While the