The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-06

undergo voyage Of this kind il seems rAther hard
Nat he shcai never better himself voyages wh,eh
are generally speaking pretty profitable to the
Many OF Tie first merchants IN New York-ths As
ptnvans for instance-acquifed their wealth and
eoDnercial knowledge while engaged IA the whale
ashsdes Of New Eaglani. Everywhere through
cut Massachusetts, and Connecticut old whaling
merchants may be recognized 10 the persons Of retired
nasobs, squires, eImembers Of Congress, and those
holding honorable positions |. tho Of these
States New Bedford engages about $50 vessels 10 this
Business and employs about 1000 men In manning and
hhing Of them.
New London, next to Few Bedford in importance o.
whaling port Is old town, and suffered severely IL
the Revolutionary and the last with Great Britain
ks harbor very fine one ia protected the city side
BY Fsrt rrumbie handsome structure, and strongly
Aalt while the opposite side, at Crotch, hattsry
Of fifty guns, built Upon the spot where number
~ patriots in the struggle for Independence were put
He sword BY the British seldery. monument about
200 feet high has been erected the summit Of the
hill v the memory Of hat little band who, for many
aayA deaed tho attacks OF the enemy. New London
vas named Namcuag by the Indians, who huated the
deer and were supreme masters of the sell when the
white man first built his cabin in tho valley OF the
Yequots 1t it, therefore, quite ancient town, and
NE scene of many startling incidents during the arst
settlement Of this country.
The city employs about fifty vessels In the whaling bu
snsss and has among her residents many Ct the most
enterprsipg merchants OF New Eogiand The vessels
vary tize from 80 to 500 TOMS but majority of the
crafts from 200 to 500 tons burtnen TIE impcrta
sisss Of oil and bone for the year 1854 toows
eperm, number ef barrels. .................. 16l4
Nhac, do......... ......,............... A2IOo
OOnc, 40. pounus... IJo ZVJ
Eliminated value gOVO0
The trade this year viii fall short fay ysnty five per
<hot nfl h1ko n;o
h value than It then the loss Will not bs very
sensiby felt. However, there las been gradual de-
ease in the quantity of oil gathered by the whalers for
many years past and until fisheries dis
covered there Ia but little prospect OF any increase
There many Hno features about New LONDON which
would interest the stranger and there is nothing
worthy Of mention than the clean and orderly condition
Of the Among other things worthy Of remark is
the splendid house of Nameuag Engine Company in Ma
comic street. 1t forty feet wide, Fifty feet deep, and
th,ee STOKES high. The engine i widely known al
he New England States being one Of the most power
l and effective constructed. At the grand trial Of
engines in New hyer, some time ego, wasn companies
sN New York, Boston and all parts Of this section cf
Me Union gathered together to compete for the
prizes, it accident alone (the bursting %
the hose) that prevented the Naneuag Company from
carrying Of the laurels This company is entirely inie
pendent owns its engine, house everything appersain
hs thereto. The drawing is fitted up N msgnif-
cent and the best hops of tho held
and here Is that tho elite Of New cndon IN The winter
season arc gathered for social amusement.
Nantucket although fourishing whaling port depends
upon its cod and mackerel fisheries for prosperity
than sending vessels to the aninyitng Of Bans
Bay, the Ocotsk Sea to hapoon the isvathan Of the
deep. II employs about thirty vessels in the whaling
business and is n fast rising town.
When the hardy whalemen Of New England 6rss DOM
nensed their vocation 1t was only necessary to go
short distance into South Northern Atlantic oceans
% obtain valuable cargo Of both sperm and whale oil
lut distant voyages to the Northern PaciRc, the
yellow and Ochotk seas have to be undertaken in order
70 pay the expenses attending the outfit Of the vessel
Tho soast of Greenland, famous ground fo- the
largest sze whales is almost entirely deserted by these
leviahans, and the whalers compelled to hunt
The humpbacks "a fish of very ANAL size compared with
The whales that used to frequent these shorcs large
sized whale win yield from 100 to $50 barrels Of oil while
these humphacks spoken OF vii not yield that thirty
barrels EACH However, they pretty plentiful, and
any captain who knows their usual hauns and feeding
Places in the various bays and nlets Of the Arctic
gcns, viii average get about 600 barrels which,
when delivered at New Bedford New London Nan
tusks win eaze from fifteen to eighteen thousand ie
hra There is greet drawhack to the profs OF tho
owners engaged in the whaling business, and this is
the heavy insurance they ha.s to ray their
vessels. On = long cruise-and often their ships
are four years from home-ths sums paid to the
underwriters amount In the case of a single yea
sci to the enormous of $4,000. Nor is this all
he bills If the ship for stores and repairs amount to al
most much the insurance dues. Still the revenue
annually poured into this country by the whalers sur
prising. In 1858, find that the exports of sperm
whale OIL bone and candles to foreign ports from the
United States amounted to nearly three millions Of dol
lars, as follows
Value.
Sperm oil number Of gallons .1,131 OBS $l41s,s45
Whale and other fish oil, do...... 321,9se 223,A7
Bone, number OF pounds. .......2 S25069 1O83,7 O5
Sper maceti candles, do ..... 342og2 112.6OO