The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-06-25
DUBERTUS.
The News Story Brings Out Interest
ing Reading Material.

people d-InlnklnB evidently, Tor within "a
hours letters began to come in (although
few in numbe:) and old timers called to
tell THE NEWS show far behind the
times" the discussion appeared to be.
One of these old fellows, who is older in
experience than years, is James n.
Arnold, the editor of the popular maga-
zine entitled, "The Narragansett His
torical Register" The Register is de-
voted to tho antiquities, geaeaIegy and
historical matter, illustrating the history
of the State OF Rhode Island and Provi-
dence Plantations. Away back in July,
1883, Welcome A. Greene contributed an
article on the dubertus TO The Register,
he having been interested in the discus
sion, which had just been renewed He
was answered in the October number of
The Register for the same year and alto
gether the matter makes interesting read
ing. Mr.. Greene's ideas were as follows:
In "King Charles Charter" is to be
found the following provision:
"And further, for the announcement
OF the Inhabitants OF our said Colony
of Providence Plantations to set upon the
business OF taking whales, il shall be
lawful for them, or any of them, having
struck whales, dubertus, or other great
fish, 1t or them, 10 pursue into any part of
that coast, and into any bay, river, cove
creek, or shore, belonging thereto, and it
or them, upon the said coast, or in the
said bay, river, cove, creek, or shore, be-
longing thereto, to kill and order for the
best advantage, without molestation,
they making no wilful wcVste or spoil.
My attention was drawn TO this passage
t.1
ity 10 know what was the "fish" or ami
NAL meant by the "dubertus." "
Inquiry among those versed in natural
history as well as in the history of our
State only showed that the same curiosity
had been excited in other minds. No one
was found who could tell what the crea-
ture was. The word is not 10 be found in
Webster's dictionaries, nor in Johnson's
Dictionary edition of 1so5).
- 1t would seem from the context. in the
above provision, that the dubertus was
either a whale, or OF the whale kind(as
considered by the fishermen of that day,
or some "other great fish, II is also
plain that it was a fish or animal Of a size
that necessitated its capture with har-
poon.
1t is further evident that the pursuit Of
the dubertus was an important industry,
or that II was considered one that might
become of importance TO the Colony. The
tus? ~ss Il @ Whai-; Dolphin, Nsrwhal,
Walrus, Seal, Swordfish, Porpoise, or
some other animal? The only other ref
erence Of such it Isl, have ever seen to
this animal is TO be found on page 10, OF
"a Description of New England by Cap
tain John Smith, " as follows:
"We found this " hale fishing costly
conclusion; we saw many and spent
much time in chasing them; but could
not Kill any; they being kind OF Iubar-
ties (Dubertus?) and not the Whale that
yeelds Finnes and Oyle as we expected" f"
In no other part of his work does he
Captain John SMITH, mention the "lu-
bartes."
He gives, on page as, a list of the fishing
products of New England as follows:
"Whales, Grampus, Porkpisces, Tur-
but, Sturgeon, Cod, Hake, Haddock,
Cole, Cusk or small Ling, Shark, Macker-
rell Herring, Mullet, Base, Pinnacks,
Muskles, Wilkes, and diuerse others, &c. F"
1t seems clear that he considered the
"Iubartes" as included in some one of
the above classes, probably in that of the
whales.
Bartholomew Gosnold carefully exam
ined this coast from Cape Cod to Saxon
net Point and attempted to found set
tlement on the island of Cuttyhunk twelve
years before Smiths visit TO New En-
gland. No account of his voyage makes
mention of dubertus though in one of
them the fish to be found here are men
toned, including ''whales. "
In Joslyn's 1.-TWO Voyages TO England
published in 1870 he says (page 1Oi),
"There are (in New England), seven
species of whale' of which, however he
only mentions by name two viz, the
"Ambergreese whale" and the "Sper
-r1ucctt whale, IL and refers, See the rari
ties of New England book previously
published by himself. On page 1O3 OF the
same work, speaking of creatures "that
live in the element OF water, - occurs this
passage: "Of the same opinion is the
Poet who said that it Is:
Affirmed by some that what on earth we find.
The Sea can parallel in shape and kind
Divine Dubertus goes further
You Divine wits of elder days. from whom
The deep inventions of rare works hath come,
Took you not pattern of our chiofost Toolos
Out of tho lap Of Thotis. Lakes and Pools Z"
Whether this is quotation from some
poem of the day in which the Dubertus
was supposed TO be gifted with the power
of speech; or whether "Divine Dubertus"
was the nom de plume of some writer OF
those times | cannot say. 1t is only mem
toned as one Of the rare instances of the
use OF the word.
In "New England rarities," above re-
ferred 10, Joslyn gives the names OF two
hundred and sixteen different kinds
OF fishes found in and around New En-
gland but doesn't mention the Dubertus
though he does give "whale many
X inds," and specially mentions the Sper-
maceti whale which he says also yields
"ambergreece.
II might be allowed TO hazard con-
lecture IL would be that, upon the pres
ent evidence, the animal known TO sailors
as the "Fin-back whale" n species
which has the whale-bone and blubber
(the "Finnes and Oyle, OF Capt. John
Smith), In such small quantities land in
addition an extreme vitality and pugna-
city,, that In early days the whale fisher
man did not deem il worth while TO pur-
sue them, is the creature meant by the
dubertus.
Perhaps some OF the readers OF this
magazine can either confirm the correct
ness or show the error OF this guess CIT is
nothing moro), as to the identity of the
"dubertus II 80 they will receive the
THINKS of many vino are desirous of in
formation on the subject.
Cnh.,.t1,... A lBI.uttfnI