The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-11-13
Mercantile Marine-The American Whal
Fishery.

Fishery.
A tabular statement in the current number
of Hunts Merchants Magazine exhibits the
aggregate tonnage of the Mercantile Marine of
Britain as a, A, l. Is tons; the United States,
3,535,45l tons; France, 1884 tons; Ne
therlands. 396,924 tons; Norway, 337 ,O5S
tons; Austria. $4,000 tons; Denmark and
Duches, l6S,97S tons; Greece, 10000 tons;
Prussia, 1868 tons; Papal States, 1873 ,4O2
tuns; Naples, 100000 tons.
The merchant tonnage of this country is,
then. fast approximatng to that of Britain, and
is nearly three millions of tons in advance of
that Of any other nation. Our rapid progress
in this particular, and the new fields constantly
opening to our maritime commerce, are COM
mented on by the London Shipping Gazette,
which admits that ''from present appearances"
we shall "soon surpass'' that country. The
projected expedition to explore the China seas
and the waters adjacent to Behring's Straits
lead the Ga=ette to remark as follows upon our
success in branch Of enterprise which Eng
land was wont to regard as peculiarly her own;
at is not by maritime traffic alone that the
United States are becoming great naval power
They have seduously pursued fishing operations,
not merely tor ihecomparatve smaller fish taken on
the coast of America, but they have follow ed the
great masters Of the deep from to with
derful perseverance and success. There gan be no
doubt of the profit of the whale fishery to America
as nation; but it is great question whether the
coast fshery, which is maintained by heavy
bounty, may not be national loss. According to
the principles Of political economy that prevail
present in this country, it would be considered;
but while in England we look only to immediate
consequences, the Americana, pro badly with more
prudence, look further ahead to remote and COL
lateral results.
"The Americans candidIy that one of the
purposes for which they encourage the fishery on
their own coasts-or, more properly speaking, on
the Of the British colones-is to train sea-
men for the country. That this object has succeed
! cd and is succeeding, is but too we'll known. The
number of American ships engaged in the south.
ern whale fishery alone would of themselves be
nearly sufficient to man any ordinary fleet Of
ships of war which that country laigbt require to
send to 1t will be sufficient for US 10 this
place to observe, without attempting to state why
it is 60, that while the American whale fishery has
been attended with the most extraordinary suc-
cess, that of England has boon gradually dwind-
ling away.
1.-THE northern whale fishery, indeed, is still
prosecuted BY this country, but the southern feb
cry has been entirely abandoned to the Americans.
The reasons assigned for the greater success Of
competitors in this trade-some of them fiscal, some
maritime-are too conflicting to allow Us to enter
into them in the columns OF a newspaper; nor could
we do 80 without entering iEto history of this
fishery, and its come with the trade in oil for
the last half century.
We must content ourselves, therefore, with OBJ
serving that the average number of American ships
annually sent to the southern or sperm whale
fishery, and fitted out for the most part from the
ports OF Massachusetts,, is $50, manned with about
500 seamen; but, besides this, they have, within
the last three years, penetrated into the Arctic
gion by Behring's Straits, where far the &C
counts yet known. they have been very success
full. In lS49 tho number Of ships that proceeded
to ths fishing was l55, manned by $500 scamen,
and their take through the 200 $50 bar
rels of oil, and 2,4Sl 100 pounds Of bone. In the
following year, 1885, the leet sent 10 that destna-
ton amounted to IA vessels; and during short
summer the take was DAB $50 barrels Of oil, or
SO $50 barrels Of oil than in the of s49
Last year about las vessels were sent off. Their
| returns have not yet been received; but they are
generally supposed to have been unfortunate, and
| TO have experienced many disasters. It would ap.
pear however, from the report made to the Secre.
tary of inc Navy NJ washington, tnat IL ID tne In
tention of the Americans to prosecute his new and
extended branch of the whale fishery; and our OBJ
ect in noticing it particularly 10 to show the IA
cility which ths fishery alone affords to the United
States Of becoming great maritime power; and.
| indeed, what they aim to be, the greatest naval
country in the world"
| LOCOMOTIVE At WHEELISG.-Thc locomotive
George Washington was placed on the track Of
| the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. ut Wheeling, on
| "Wednesday, aud steam raised, to crafty the Gu
| riosty Of those who never before witnessed the
| pranks OF the iron horse. In four months from
now the railroad will be completed to Wheeling,
when the citizens of that place will see the iron
horse every day, and will then become familiar
| with him.
THE yoTE OF OHTo.-'The majority for2Franklin
Pierce in Ohio so far, seventy two counties being
heard from, Ia ,9l2. The sixteen counties yet TO
iiear from will not vary the result much Il"
| tOhio Sk0ttsman.