The Polynesian., 1841-06-12


tened to blocks of wood by strings
These blocks were thrown overheard the
moment that the instruments penetrated
the body, and the attacks thus made ap-
rear to have been renewed the moment
the whale showed himself on the surface,
SO that these monsters were finally wor-
ricd to death. The attacks thus made by
these imperfect instruments seem, howev-
er, to have been generally directed upon
the young ones near the shores, that were
towed to the coast, and the fat taken off
from only one side, as they possessed no
knowledge which would enable them to
turn over the animal. 1t is obvious that
the larger sort of whales must have etlcc-
tuall y resisted the attacks of the savagcs
with such rude weapons, and the demand
for the oil, which, upon the northern part
of the continent they were accustomed
to use as food, was but limited. These
casual attacks of the whales that frequent
ly strayed near the coast, cannot, we
think, be considered even the foundation
of the whale fishery as a regular system
of traffic, the animals having been pro-
cured for a far different purpose than that
of commerce. Without going into pa
ticular account of these foreign fisheries.
we enter at once into consideration of
the rise and progress of the whale fishery
in our own country.
The hardy enterprise of New England
is entitled to the credit of carrying out
the whale fishery to the largest extent,
and with the most brilliant success. The
occupants of this region of the country.
cast along the sca-shore, and upon soil
barren, rocky, and inviting in a very small
degree the labors of agriculture, at an
early period directed their adventurous
enterprises to the sea. Yet their cxtraor-
dinary vigor and daring, aided by the
elasticity of their climate, their compara-
tive poverty and their simple virtues,
more than cOuntcrbalanced the consc-
qucnces which would otherwise have re-
suited from the barrenncss of their soil.
The population bordering the shores of
the sea turned their attention to its abun-
dant 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 rcvolu-
ton, escape the notice of distinguished
statesmen abroad. Their enterprise in
this respect. it is well known, received Il
Just and splendid eulogium from Edmund
Burke, on the floor of the British Paria-
ment, in his speech delivered in INA, up
on American affairs. ''As to the wealth.
said he, (Which the coonists 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 en-
Wy; and yet the spirit by which that en-
terprising employment has been cyer-
ciscd, ought rather, in my opinion, to
have raised esteem and admiration. And
pray. sir. what in the world is equal to it
Pass by the other parts. and look at the
manner in which the New England pco-
pie carry on the whale fishery. While
we follow them among the tumblng
mountains of ice, and behold them pcne-
trating into the deepest frozen reccsses o'
Hudsons Bay and Davis Straits; while
we are looking for them beneath the arc