, 1861-05-31


..h,ob we care not to mention, we caHno.
snicnIate but that no blessing has restec
- n IL evident. And inasmuch as th'
sl~rlar periodcal visits of the VhaleshIp'
hISo been the means and the excuse FOL
5sswinq the native population from the
sorrtry TO the seaports, in SO much have
thew tended to disperse the natives iamily
rnsettle his habits, Gil his head with ideas
~ comparative wealth easily obtained, and
really to discredt systematic agricultural
Sbor beyond the point necessary to obtain
food.
,,r which have afflicted this people for SC
many S years, are the results Of, or at least
have been greatly aggravated by the visits
nf the whaling feet, and that the with
S..wal Of the whalers would be the means
and afford O leieure time for the physical
regeneration of this people. Would that
wa could hold the whalers guillless in this
resnect but we DO not believe that all the
blame can honestly be laid at their door,
buE should be fairly shared by those who
Wien III authority--and an authority far
more unlimited than at present-either will
fully neglected or openly refused to enact
snch laws and institutions as under the Pc
cnliar circumstances would have neutralized
or, couDteracied the evil referred to; aud
who, when out of authority, have declared
their intention TO upset, if possible, the late
though we hope not too late-precau.
tiorary measures TO keep that evil from the
bulk Of the people. And now, after q six
months trial of those sanitary measures,
with a.. their incompleteness and defects,
we can already form tolerably correct
opinion Of the wholesome effect they would
have produced on the physical condition OF
the people, had they been adopted thirty
years ago, and of the tens of thousands
that would have Jeen alive this day to till
the land, to uphold the their own nation
ality and gladden. the heart Of the philan-
thropist
But 1t is useless TO quarrel with the
whalers, as some well meaning but rather
short-sighted people have done, for conse.
quences which we had it in our own power
10 avert. While the whaleishery yet re-
mains sufficiently pra6table to draw ships
TO this ocean, we feel it to be duty to en-
courage their coming to these islands to nc
cruit, while at the same time we strain
every nerve to prepare for the time, which
can be bat q question Of few yea when
their entire withdrawal or material diminu-
tion shall render their visits matter OF
minor Importance TO the national resources
Other ports in the Pacific are bidding high
for the whalers. California has enacted
special law in their behalf San Francisco
has adopted regulations to favor their com
ing. and, having of late years materially
curbed the rapacity of the lawyers aad
land.sharks, will prove a powerful competi-
tor, aided by the additional fact Of its be-
ing home port. On the other side of US
Tahiti is doing her utmost to win tue Line
whalers ard tne Detweeu=seus0u cruisers to
her port. And Guam rnd the Islands west
Of US picA up many ship, coming from the
Line or New Zealand, which formerly came
acre with u. fai j gulaNv for its spring
supplies. The following short table, for
the three last years. shows the gradual de-
cline of the spring 1eet Of whalers, how the
whaling ground IS changing, aud how they
must have found other ports to recruit at
than those Of these islands. And when we
reflect that Of the so vessels which left
here last fall, bound on between-seasOa
cruise on the line Line or New Zealand,
only have touched here, SO far, on their
back to the Northern whaling
grounds, the fact that not only whaling is
decreasing, but that we as o recruiting sta
tiOn ore being deserted, needs no further
evidence.