The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-04-19
NANTUCKET's LAST WHALEsHIP
SOLD

Away out in the Atlantic Ocean, not far
from the shores of old Massachusetts,, al.
most on the very edge Of the Gulf stream
is said at some seasons to sweep
along close to;the7 shores-lies, or rests, or
is anchored, the famous little patch of sand
known as the Island of Nantucket 1t is
a remarkable little spot of the earth: some
thing like ireland in one respect, having a
climate Of nildness to which its latitude
does not entitle it. And it is like Ireland
in another respect; in the deep and abid-
ing love and affection which its children
bear it. Scattered over the earth and the
waters, in whatever zone its sons may be,
whether as shrewdly manipulating trade as
ever they may have been, or may be, in
robbing the ocean leviathan of his life and
his blubber, the regular Nantucketman
thinks ever and anon of the wife or
sweetheart that waits her years of sad and
longing loneliness for his return and he
sees in fancy the prints of little bare feet
in the sand, and even the little hollows
made by chubby toes, guiltless of stocking,
shoe, or sandal. Nantucket is his Erin,
and the smell of oil about its docks travels
with him over the world.
The world has heard of Nantucket
Many poor fellow, stranded upon its
shore, has lain next morning, after gale,
pale ana passionless, upon he sands of its
coasts, his hair. mingled with kelp and eel
grass, ADD relics of Cuff weed Who that
ever sat by an oil lamp, has not thought Of
and her heroes of the whale
ships, with intellects as keen as the points
of their harpo0us ? Once this little islard
was in its glory. Once it could boast Of
its whale-ships, one hundred or more,
scattered all over the worlds waters, fol-
lowing the whale wherever he made his
cruising ground, and returning after three
years, laden with oil and bone, with many
a curious wrought bit Of ivory, gifts for
the wire and children, or the affianced. -
Oh, "What larks y in those good old days.
when d.llars were mere plentiful than men,
WHEN the wharves groaned beneath the
weight OF greasy puncheons, and sweet
with great drops and streams of train aud
sperm, and the waters of the harbor shone
like the face of a mirror, its coating of oil
bidding defiance to the puffs of the wind
Then sperm, and mother-of pearl, ivory Of
the walrus, and couriosities eff the South
Sea were plenty. Then the air was taboo
ed against bearing the seeds OF any disease,
because the purifying odors of tar cleansed
its vaerant PARTICLES. Then Nantucket's
whalemen were graduating schools for the
American Navy, and she was proud of her
trade and her seamen.
But a change has come over the dream
of this little, once busy and enterprissng
isle. Instead of happening the whale off
New Zealand, the Brazils, or in Hudson's
or Behring's Straits, some land lubbers
"bored for oil" down through the soil
Of Pennsy lvania and struck the lite of a
whale, to which that credited with having
gu!ped down our ancient friend Jonah, was
as herring to hallibut; and from that
day the illuminations which Nantucket
had furnished theaworld, grew less and less
brilliant Her grand fleet OF greasy rib
bed ships grew less and less. The hogs
heads and puncheors on her wharves and
beaches were 4eft:empty ard unused, their
hoops;rotted, their slaves dropped apart
The odorsrof OH grew less and less; try-ket-
ties rusted in idleness old cordage lay
useless; grass sprang up where oil had
once run down one by one the old blub
ber-hunters were sold and devoted to 9TH
er traders, or broken up for their old iron
and timber for firewood the gallant har-
poonsmen sought other business the many
widows ct the men who had found death
and burial in their pursuit of whales in
foreign seas, were left husbandless in their
weeds, and old Nantucket, all except the
name, was no more. The newspapers au-
nouncc that. the last of the Nantucket
whale ships has been sold. Kerosene did
it. We bid the whales rejoice Alta.
The Shasa COURIER has lived twenty