The New York herald., 1879-07-30
ARCTIC WHALERS.


From the Boston (Mass.) Advertiser. July ISL
Dealers in whalebone and oil awaiting with much
interest the arrival in San Francisco Of the Arctic
trader General Harney. looked for within ten days
This was despatched from the Golden Gate in
May last with stores to the twenty whalers cruising
in the northern and to bring back their
sons catch of oil and bone. Seventeen of the feet
are New Bedford vessels; the other three are from
San Francisco; that the General Harney's arrival
has something of local interest. Just now there
fifteen whalers at the wharves in New Bedford.
aud should the from the Arctic be that small
catch had been taken these idle whalcrs will proba
bly, all be manted and be laid up until early next
spring. when. if the markets improve. they will be
fitted for the usual three years cruise There at
present 1856 vessels all told engaged in whale fishery
against G6s in 1854. New Bedford continues
to lead in the business. Counting the ten
Scotch steam whalers now at work i'll Bafins Bay,
not than twenty-five are from seaports out
side Of New Bedford. 1t may be interesting to
call that when the business was at its height in
1854 New Bedford fitted ont 419, Nantucket 47.
Provincetown 27, Fairhaven 40 and New London
IS. The previous year the receipts OF bone
300 pounds against POI 259 in 1873 the prices
ranging 1853 from "a to 40 cents, against 81 so
to So the present season. The receipts OF oil were
in 1854 600 barrels. against 10000 in 1873 In
this year of heavy receipts there 552 vessels
the Arctic fisheries. There Is little change
the whaling grounds outside OF the Arctic seas.
The whales run down early in the summer into
the southern latitudcs to cave. but in returning
they keep very much closer to the ice. and in the
Arctic run under and alongside the fields and beras.
For twenty years the whalers had not followed the
fish west OF Point Barrows but 1875 fleet went
as far Us Camden Bay, and four of the vessels were
abandoned. since which time not vestige of these
vessels has been met with. The fleet HIS been
far west since. Harrison's Bay being considered
well to the westward But as New Bedford parties
are now building steam Arctic whaler at Batn. Me-.
the first OF this class ever sent from the United
States, there may be great change in the Arctic
fishing grounds, and more economic method OF
following the schools discovered. This steamer will
fiji away in September. 1t will so direct to and cruise
along both coasts OF Patagonia, where the whaling
this season has been unusually fine; thence it will
run up along the of shore and the line grounds.
touching in at San Francisco after cruising through
the Society and Sandwich Islands. dischurgng the
catch; and by Jnne next it will steam directly into
the Arctic seas.
THE WHALING INDUSTRY
The Indian Ocean fleet aud the two vessels Of the
New Ze land coast have been fairly successful but
the sperm season of the west coast Of New Holland.
in Australia. and the catch i'll the vicinity OF the
Desolaton Islands. southeast of Africa. ut last
counts were poor. 1t is in the last named locality,
and also in the Indian Ocean, that the whalers look
in each catch for that knot of diseased intestnes
known as ambergrs. which weighs from forty to
two hundred pounds and is usually more valuable
than the whole cargo OF oil and bone. The last lot
brought into New Bedford the Caroline
Gibbs, 125 pounds The whale taken of the
Tristan Islands. in the South Atlantic and the lot
sold for S25.000 to a Boston druggist. 1t
may be interesting to know that TINS most
disareeable stuff is used in the manufacture OF per-
fumes New Bedford outfitters claim that unless a
vessel can take $500 barrels OF sperm oil in three years
oil fishing VIII not pay. As few have reached this
quantity i'll the voyages ending the past year. moro
attention is being given to catching the right whale
in the Arctic in which the bone is more valuable.
The consumption OF sperm oil has been abridged
principally by the introduction OF lard Oil. Nothing
would rejoice the sordid heart OF whalemau as a
hog cholera at the West. The failure of the
haden season this summer is bit of encouragement
to holders of humpback and similar classes whale
OIL. This is thick oil that does not strain clear. and
is largely used by tanners and curriers'. The oils
taken in the South somewhat similar, but
the Arctic oils clear and limpid, and are
used both for burning and lubricating purposes.
Sperm oil is used almost exclusively as a spindle
lubricant. the English spinners taking from
about 10000 barrels year. Last fall, when the
catch large and the market dull prices fell
to eighty five cents. This seemed so very low that
Englishmen came over and bought on speculation
out of New Bedford about 1900 barrels at eighty
two cents. But the market has since receded to
seventy yive cents. with stock of about $4,000 bar
reis hand, and the spinners at Oldham and other
large English manufacturing centres idle on account
of strike The sale OF whalebone is very large in
Paris and Berlin, where the leading modistes make
women's costumes an art Since the long trains
have been fashionable the sales of bone that will
ten feet lengths have commanded extra prices.
WhalebOne runs from four to ten feet long and is
now worth 81 so per pound A substitute has been
attempted in the horn from Australian oxen. The
greatest lengths of these run to seventeen inches
and they sell at 81 pound. but this horn notwith-
standing the care in its preparation. on being used
gives out disagreeable odor.
PROFITS OF THE SEASON.
between the 1st and 18th of November. but whether
there will be anything to favor advance a
further decline Is not even specuated upon by New
Bedford outftters One of the last voy ages settled
up ut New Bedford did not yield dollar of cash to
the crow, and their advance aud modest purchases
during the cruise actually brought them in debt
the owners. 1t seems very hard that three
years severe work should not yield eleven
than q modest fare and cheap wearing apparel.
Whaling Is done OH the operative plan. The owners
furnish the vessel tit out and food for two-thirds.
and the officers and crew do the work for one-third,
and settlement is made the return at the current
market price for oil and bone when landed at the
wharf Among the ships oflicers and the
division is the value of the whole cargo, rs
follows:-Thc captain has one-sixteenth first mate.
mate. one ffticth; boat steerers one-eighticth to
one-nineticth; ordinary seaIncn. one one-hundred
and sxtieth to hundred and seventeen, ard
green hsnds. one one-hundred and nnetieth to
two hundred and tenth. The advances at the outset
of the voyages arc:-kirst mate 500: second mate,
S175; third mate. $3.50; scamen, $125, and green
hands. $lUU. chest containing clothing and to-
bacco, &c., Is put on board, out of which the
replace their worn out or lost clothing at an advance
of about fifty cent the cost For instance coat
costing SO Is sold ont of the chest for 80. Notwith-
standing the dangers of tho business aud its very
poor returns there large numbers of men
hanging about New Bedford waiting for the expected
Arctic news, in the hope of chance to ship ON tho
cruises that may possibly be made into the South
Atlantic and Pacific.