Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-08-11
PROSPECTS, OF THE WEST.


We have already ndvorted to the vast influence
likely to be exeTied upon the West by the discovery
Of what is called lard OIL; and again call atten-
| ton TO the subject for the purpose OF awakening
! agricuuralists TO the immense Importance of this
article of commerce, for il will be but little in
ferior to steam in its results to the West. Where's
| ever lai d has been introduced, il has Immediately
displaced the sperm, and that branch OF commerce
will be entirely destroyed in short space of time
IL cannot possibly compete with the lard oil. The
immense amount OF capital required to carry on the
whaling business, the great risk always attendant,
upon its prosecution, the heavy losses experienced
every year by those engaged in IT, the length of the
voyages and the constantly increasing danger, would
speedily terminate the competition between these
oils even if they were Of the same price, but the
superior che ipncss OF the lard oil decides its entire
success. The capital heretofore devoted 10 whale
| fishing will now be diverted 10 some other branch
OF industry, and lard oil will furnish all the facilities
heretofore derived from the sperm, and many OF
those which the olive oil supplied.
The means OF light arc almost as necessary TO
mankind as those OF subsistence. We have ample
evidence oil this IN the long continuance Of whale
/ hshing, despite OF all its dangers and its heavy
losses. In the year 1850, the Dutch employed eco
ships and 400 sailors the business. In order To
encourage the enterprise among the people Of Great
Brl n, Parliament offered a bounty Of 40 shnss
4 ton 10 all ygSses over 200 tons engaged in the
y hale-hshery; and between 1850 aad l7Ss these
boun;es amounted to 81 ,577 1856, and from 1879
down 70 1874 the bountles considerably exceeded
i
fourteen hundred and eghty-ni British ships were
employed IN this business, independently OF the
number IN the service oi North America, Holland
and France.
Tho American whale fishers have excelled tbose
of all other nations in this business. They CON-
! menced 1t in 1000. and during fifty years found
abundant material in the Atlantic ocean. Massa
ehusetts alone employed for a number Of years. Is3
vessels annually, carrying Is $50 tons. Il was in
ausion 20 these things that the celebrated Edmund
Burke passed his tplendsd eulogium upon the people
of Nav EnelanJ IN the British Parliament. lie
SAFE Pass by the other parts OF the colonies and
look at the manner in which the New EnSI,nd
people carry on the whale fishery. While we fol-
low them among the trembling mountains of ice
ana ma Them penetrating into the deepest frozen
receSscs Of Hudson's lay and Daysis straits. Willie
we are looking for them beneath the arctic circle
We hear that they have pierced into the opposite
region o! polar cold; that they are at the anpodes
ana engaged under the frozen serpsnt Of the south
Falkland island, which seemed too rsnoio and Inn
romantic object for the grasp of national ou,bi
ton IS but stage and resting place for their yicto
tlou5 industry. Nor is tho tqunoctal heat more
d!scourasing TO them than the accumulated winter
of both poles. We learn that while some If H.,
ora" me line or strike the haTpoon on the coast of
Africa, others run the longitude and pursue Their
gigantic game along the coast OF Brazil. No sen
but what IS vexed with their fisheries no climate
that IS not witness OF their tolls Neither the perse
yerance OF Holland, nor the activity Of France nor
the dexIerous and firm ssgncity OF English eater.
prze ever carried this most perilous mode of bnrdv
industry 70 the extent to which it has been pursued
~ .nIs recent people, people who still in the
grstlei and not hardened into MANHOOD
u was probably this speech that induced T o,is
vi OF France, ten years after is delivery to en-
Poy Nantucket whaltmen at q great expense 10
carry on me business in six French Government
vessels. The adventure was very successful,
In 1888 there were 203 nerican vessels sng,,.d
IN the sperm whale fithcfy alone. in 1882 there
were imported into ths United States 10 7lg bey,ss
OF sperm OIL, ard IN 1881, the number of barrels |
vas 10 ,I?<. Ia 1883 the Nantucket paper esti-
mateO the importation for that year az 1856 600 bar
fes' valued Of s3.OOOO00. In 1887 the in pot,aton
amounted to 1856 barrels, and 10 1885 to 1870.
400 barrels ''
To give some idea OF the risk and loss in this
trade, we state single fact by no means sin euIor
Ia 1880, Of 81 ships thar sailed for Davs,s ,Ir.i,s
the loss by wreck from IS to % Der cent
twenty Tour ships returned clean not ma yiag caught
y nsh' vi the remainder, not one hal a full cargo.
wreck alone was GI260OO.
iIee iaeis, CLEANED from N'Culloch's Commer
cial Dictionary, will serve 10 indicate 10 the f,r
ners Of the West, the immense field Of profit open
ing b. fore them. Lard oil will in very sbor, ,;,
destroy the sperm whale fishery. nnJ obave ~ |
idsa that another ship will ever start on that bust
neae a. er they oil gctin. The lard oil burns os
wen, II looks as well, and j, is nearly IS per cent.
ehtaper than the other ard must Of necessity no,
oony displace that, but in great measure cut down
the importation Of olive oil for maebiaerv Tie
farmers Of the West can easily supply he whole
country with oil for lamps and machinery.
rms greaidic1very is one Of the results OF eberoi
ca science, and shows in strong coors the utility
ola high degree OF education, for which VIC bavs a.
ohen coniended. NJ. Arago, the illusltious French
philosopher, hns forciby shown tina, inventors are
the fcal 6entaciors ofa State; ard in proportion Ms
We give the highest departments Of science 10 the
mass OF The people, IN that proportion do VIC secure
ne" inventions and greot discOvoueg Let the 81
iizen reflect, tbon, while enjoying the light of the
lnI9 OF, that the saving he effects in purchasing n
gahon Of y az 80 cents, instead Of gallon Of sperm
on at ~ 70, one Of the results Of science; and lei
u De on incentive 10 secure and maintain compre.
htnsiVe system Of public instruction. Thisis but n
single item, but u alone should cause science 10 be
i respected.
Chevruel, French chemist, in some inyes,isA.
/ uOns upon animal fat discovered that IL was com
posed Of two principles, TO which he gave the names
| ELAINE and sTEAnIH, and he found that they could
easily be separated. They are composed Of car
| bon, hydrogen, and oxygen; and wherever carbon
/ pfed0mnetes IN an animal oil, we may be assure
| Of m ortele capable Of n high degree Of luminous
| power curious experiment Is related by Befa,d
which shows shat fat may be made ariihcially on
mixing together one measure of carbonie acid. ten
measures Of earJuret,ed hydrogen, and twenty Of
| hydrogen, and, transmitting the mixture through
req not tube, several white crystals were obtained
winch were intoluble in water, soluble in alcohol
end iu'lble byhe into an oily au'd.
Inc following ore the relative constituents oflard
oil and spermlceti:
Carbon. Hydrogen. OXYGEN
Lard OIL, 1908 H. 52 osts
Spefmacef, 1905 IIG 100