Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-11-02
THE AMERICAN WHALE AND SEAL FISHERIES

From the report of Mr.. James Arnold, made to Copvsn
ton Of the friends Of Protective Tariff in ls43 we sathe
GONE interesting particulars in regard to this branch of M
fisheries Six hundred and fifty ships are emoIoysd ma
surfing 900 tons, and manned by I650O men, Thes
vessels when ready for sea- with their stock Of provisions q
board are worth S20 l200 0O0 The returns in is4l wer
g. 022 After paying the lays Of the men and the ex
penses Of the voyags there le the profits ON tb
S2e 0OO OOO $4 $685. 634 The whale ships owned B,
citizens exclusively, for the statutes Of the United States ex
pressy prohibit foreigners from entering the whale fisher,
under the American Asg singular occurred in New
Bedford about fifteen years ago. An individual who owned
the sixteenth of ship, became very indignant because
some particular the Of the did
adopt bis views The ship was just resdy for The South
Seas He sold for dollar ba Of bis sixteenth
little English tailor in the town, for the express purpose
efecng forfeiture Of the whole ship! He Immediately
caused information TO be communicated the custom-house
officers and had the vessel seized she about weigh
anchor
The other owners at once Sled their libel in Admiralty
setting forth the fraudulent sale and the illegal intent of the
parties While suit pendng, the sewiled be-
came fearful that the affair would terminate 10 the forfeiture
of his part and more and consented sell the
others at fair price and the federal officers consented to the
canceng Of the pretended SALE We have spoken Of the
cunay value of the fisheries but is nursery for
men that they subject of such interest and importance
Their dangers hadshps form the character of the Ame-
From Macgregor's book we make an extract which de-
scribes the Of life of the New England fishermen
This ID the prose;
The Americans follow two or more modes of fitting out
for fisheries The first is accomplished by sx farm
their building schooner during winter, which
they man themselves Gas all the Americans on the
less seansn well farmers and after fitting
the vessel with necessary stores they proceed to the Banks
Gulf of St. Lawrence Labrador and loading their vessels
with fish, make voyage between spring and harvest Tho
proceeds they Divide after paying any balance they may
for outfit They remain at home to assist in gathering their
crops and proceed again fer another cargo-whch is saed
nf
and kept for home consumption The other plan is, when
merchant any other owning vessel let's her TO
fifteen onshares, he finds the vessel and the
pay for all the provisions hooks and lines and for the salt
necessary to their proportion Of the fish, One Of the
number acknowledged MASTER but he has to catch fish
we'll the Others and receives about twenty shllngs per
month for navigating the vessel the have ve-eghhs
Of the fish caught and the three the whole.
The FIRST spring voyage made to the Banks the second,
either to the Banks Gulf Of st. Lawrence, the Coast Of
Labrador; the third falvoyage, again the Banks
and fourth, second fall voyage, also made sometimes
to the Banks
fact but adorned with all the that gorgeous
imagination could throw the subject This is the poetry
of the sailors life
sThey drive the Dyads from their accustomed haunas
and force them to desert each voe grove for upon river
creek bay they busy transforming the rude forest
stanch and gallant vessels From every inlet indentuxe
along the rocky shore swim forth these brdbonn
the wild wood fedged upon the Behold how they
their fight every quarter Of the gobe,be carrier pigeons
of the world 1t is upon the unstable element the of
New England have achieved their greatest umphs Their
adventurous prows the waters Of every Bold and
relentless the old Northern Vkns they go forth seek
their fortunes in The mighty Deep The is their pas
ure, and its white pairies they follow the monsuus
herds that feed upon the fields As the hunter casts
his asso upon the wild horse they throw their lines upon
the tumbling whale. They daw the Leviathan with
hook they fill his skin with barbed iron and in spite Of
his terrible strength they part him among the merchants
To them there pillars Of Hercules They seek with
avidity regions and fear to be the first that
burst into unknown seas Had they been the companions
of Columbus the great would have been urged
to return though he had sailed westward to- his dying day.
Macgregor also furnishes graphic description of the Seal
Fishery, with which conclude this article We hinkthe
term of Codfsh Asocracy" need not be deemed very
offensive, after all
SEAL FISHERY.
The great and primary business Of the people Of New
oundand that of pursuing and catching the inhabitants of
the habit generally allowed, becomes nature,
the Newoundanders naturally, from their pursuits
tanly the most adventurous and fearless in the world
Courage and industry, which certainly prevail, to them
absolutely necessary.
ssThe Seal Fishery, it is generally termed, has only be-
come important within the present century little
than th since the first vessels ventured among those
formidable fields of ice that float from the Northern regions
during the months of March, April and May down the
Of Newfoundland Those who acquainted with the
terrific grandeur particularly during stormy weather. Of the
lofty islands and mountains of ice, covering often from
hundred three hundred miles of the ocean, and occasionally
arrested by the coasts shoals will admit that it requires
ntrepy to brave the dangers of these elements than
encounter military fortifcation.
The vessels equipped for the seal fishery reom go to
20 tons each, with crews Of from sixteen TO thirty
They always prepared for sea- with necessary stores fire.
arms poles defend them from the ice etc. before the feast
of Saint Patrick Immediately AFTER the the har
bo then frozen over, collect together with alb assistance
from the shoremen, and dividing themselves into
the ce and provided with hatchet large saws and strong
poles, fix two lines for enough separate to allow their
largest schooners to pass.
Each party along its respective line, and they divide
the solid between them into squares, which showed
with poles under the firm ice continuing this aboous opera
ton until channel is open to the The vessels then
proceed the fedce pushing their through the OPEN
ngs working windward Of it. until they meet covered
with vast herds of seal.
Where these occur, the part which they called
seal meadows These animals surprised by the seal
hunters while they sleeping the ice and attacked with
fire locks or with strong budgeons which are considered
preferable But the hunters have frequently shoot theage
ones which will turn upon the and make resistance.
The peous and cry of the young during the
slaughter require than to disregard
The hooded seals will draw their hoods which proof
their heads.
Thin skins, with the fat surrounding the bodces are
shipped off together and the scaped left the ce
The pes scaps carried vessels and packed close
scalp the seal the ce and the then carried
whole to the vessel
The situation of these vessels during the of
and slee, which they have that inevitably
counter is attended with fearful danger. Many vessels have
been crushed pieces by the tremendous power of the ice
closing them and their have also not unequenty
persisted Storms during the night among the ice must
k~rl.