Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-10-03
The Early Whale Fisheries.

In an article on the whale fisheries,
an exchange says: We believe there
is yet extant the first agreement ever
made in America ON the subject. In it
"James Loper doth engage to carry on
a design of whale catching on the island
of Nantucket. That is to say, James
engages to be third in all respects,
and some of the town engages on the
other two-thirds, in like manner"
This little spark kindled a great fame
that burned around the world.
Work was begun on the smallest
scale in boats from the shore by thrift
ty, industrious, and courageous men,
and in 1761 the small island of Nan
tucket employed ten vessels of 100 tons
each. In the year following the num-
ber had increased to fifteen vessels, and
within twelve months more magnifi-
cent feet of eighty vessels, all hailing
from Nantucket, were in search of
whales on the nearest and more distant
waters.
The whalebone exported from Amer
lea to Great Britain reduced the price
of that material one-third. The British
government had already thus far ex-
pended the extraordinary sum of 91,-
687, ,902 in bounties, and were content a
while to watch the progress of their
colonial subjects in the whale-fsheries ;
but after the Declaration of Independ-
ence they were no longer interested in
them, and renewed and added to their
offers of bounties. They offered pre-
MUM of 9600 to the vessel proceeding
to the Pacific, continuing four months
on the ground, and, after being sixteen
months out, having the greatest guam
tity of sperm-oil on board. Five hun
dred pounds more were promised to
any of the seven vessels having the
next greatest quantity. A second invi-
tation was also issued to foreigners,
who were allowed to import their goods
free of duty and to compete for all the
premiums. The pertinacity of the gov
ernment appears as strange as the aver.
sion of the sailors to an exciting service
in which they might be expected tc
glory.
The Americans were never assisted
by their government, and depended Oh
their own resources alone. Their sue.
cess elected q brilliant eulogy from
Burke in the English Parliament; and
on the Arctic and Antarctic, the Pacific
and the Atlantic, they were unrivaled
as hunters of the grandest game in the
world. In 1910 the whaling fleet mum
bered CTS vessels, most of them meas
uring over 400 tons each, and theil
total capacity was 100000 tons. They
were manned by 1,700 of the hardest
pluckiest, and most indomitable sea
men. Their value was $25, 900, 600, ant
they carried on an annual business O.
$5, 100000
The secret of the success Of the Nan
tucket whalemen is strikingly stated in
Njnrod of the Sea. They practiced
cooperation to perfection. Il" From
the first" says Captain Davis, "tht
people dubbed their means to build OF
buy vessel, and many branches of The
labor were conducted by those immedi
ately interested in the voyage. Tht
cooper while employed in making casks
took good care that they were of sound
seasoned wood, lest they might leak hi
oil in the long voyage; the blacksmith
forged the choicest iron in the shank O
the harpoon, which he knew, perhaps
from actual experience, would be pu
to the severest test in wrenching ant
twisting as the whale, in which he had
one. hundreth interest, was secured
the rope-maker faithfully tested eacl
yarn of the tow-line to make certail
that it would carry 200 pounds o
strain, for he we'll knew that one veal
inch in his WORK might cause the loss o
a fighting monster; the very womel
and girls who made the clothing remem
bered in their toll that father, brother
or one dearer yet might wear the gar
ment, and extra stitches were lovingl
thrown in to save the loss OF buttol
or the ripping of a seam." Thus it wa
that the profits of the labor were direct
ly enjoyed by those engaged in it, an
the workman's interest was the masters
and the masters the workman's.