The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-06-04
Che Sailg . sllstia.
FRIDAY, JUNE A, 1885. .
RISE AND DECLINE OF THE NORTHERN
AND ARCTIC WHALE FISHERY.

and fifties made these Islands their
place of rendezvous for refitting,
shipping oil, etc. After the decline
of the sperm whale fishery, on what
was called the Japan ground, which
was at its best during the twenties
and early thirties, it was then found
to be getting Improbable from the
reduced catches, and the number of
vessels calling here declined. But
at the commencement of the next
decade, the forties, ships began to
visit the n. w. coast of America
for Right Whales. This was known
among whalemen as the 'Kodiac
Ground" covering all the region in
the vicinity of that island, and all
along the coast to the eastward,
down to SON. Latitude, whales were
abundant and much larger than
those in the Southern Ocean, and
the stories of those first visiting the
ground seemed fabulous to those
accustomed to the comparatively
small fry of the Southern Ocean.
The business expanded rapidly.
Ships were transferred from the
over-fished grounds south, and many
more bought and built and added.
In 1913 large fleet was on this
ground, and in IA still larger one,
and catches were large.
About this time some OF the old
sperm whale captains were quite
surprised on arriving here to find
that the old time barter trade of
cotton cloth, tobacco, etc., had de-
parted, never to return, and that
cash vas wanted for supplies, etc.,
and that they were obliged to draw
bills of exchange on their owners,
the rate in those days ruling at 20
percent. Prior to this they had
usually got along in disbursing their
ships in the Pacific with cotton
goods, muskets, powder, ETC., and
rarely used money. 1t was also dis
covered that whales were plentiful
away to the west about this time,
and ships were soon cruising as far
as the Kurile Isles and Kamschatka.
The fleet continued to expand,
and everything was booming. Some
thought from the great extent OF the
new grounds that they would sup
ply an almost inexhaustible spoil
for the whalemen. But the eXpan-
sion of the fleet was too rapid, and
the cream was taken off these
grounds in a short time. Then it
was discovered that whales were
plentiful in the Sea of Okhotsk, and
directly after the Sea Of Japan was
added to the list of cruising grounds.
1t was also soon found that the
bowhead whale existed in the north
ern and western parts of Okhotsk
Sea. And last but not least of the
discoveries in this decade, Doyce
sailed up into the Arctic and dis
covered that bowheads existed there
in great numbers and of immense
size. This was in 1913. Next year
quite number of ships visited this
new ground, and were very sue
cessfuI. In 1850 still larger fleet
and large catches were made. The
northern whaling was now in all its
glory.
For a large part of this decade,
Lahaina, on the Island of Maui, had
been the principal port for retitting
and was visited by the larger part Of
the fleet during spring and fall
touching at Honolulu for letters
few comparatively coming in. But
as the fleet, which was still expand
ing in numbers, and still pushing
their way into the icy regions of the
north, and remaining out later
many of them battered by the ict
and storms of that inhospitablt
region. Often requiring quite ex.
tensive repairs, and as the facility
for repairs and transhipping of OF
were so much greater at Honolulu
than in an open roadstead as at La
haina, that place quickly declined
and Honolulu came into prominence
at bound. AS early as 1852, a
the time of the "Sailors' Riot" i
was estimated that the value of tn
ships and cargoes moored in doubl
tiers, filling the harbor about full
was fully SIS, 200, 900.
1t was during this decade that til
number of ships engaged in northern
whaling reached the highest poin
and began its decline. Its culmina
ton as regarded catch was perhap
in 1852, during which year tn
catches on all the northern ground
were extremely good and the aggre
, gate catch immense. The declin
in the number Of vessels becam
quite rapid in the latter part of thi
and the early part of the next de
cade.
The average catch having falle
below profitable point, and man
ships going home with such sma
catches as to entail heavy losse
upon the owners, the breaking OF
of the rebellion found many ships ,
the wharves at the different whalin
ports, which it would be ruinous
fit, and large number were sold ;
low figures to the government fc
blocking up Charleston Harbor, an
for coal ships, coal hulks, et'
Others were transferred into tb