THE WHALE KISHKRY. 147 



Tin' tleet cruising in the Xorih Pacific consisted of 58 vessels, of which 7 were foreign, against 101 vessels in 

 1867; 2 vessels were lost, tin- Corinthian and tin- H,i< Hawaii, i ho former having taken 1,050 barrels oil aud 15,000 

 pounds bone, which were saved, and the latter, 1,200 barrels oil aud 15, (100 pounds bone, which were lost with the 

 \rssel. There were also . I trading vessels that visite.d those waters and returned with 185 barrels oil aud 22,500 

 IK in mis bone. 



The Arctic Ocean licet comprised :',7 American and 4 foreign vessels, aud caught 35,005 barrels whale oil and 

 :.?.'.. -Jtui pounds bDiie, .-in a\eiage of 834 barrels oil aud 14,030 pounds bouo ; whereas, in 1867, 77 vessels caught 50,115 

 banvls whale oil and SH7.SIH) poniuls bone, an average of 651 barrels oil aud 10,492 pounds boue. 



The Oehotsk licet comprised 7 A'licriean ami I foreign vessel, and caught '1,960 barrels whale oil and 50,500 pounds 

 bone, an average of (i','0 barrels oil and (i,:!12 pounds bone : whereas, in 1-1.7, 14 vessels caught 9,320 bairels whale oil 

 and 117, '(>(> pounds bone, an average of 665 barrels oil and S,:.',',i:j pounds boue. 



The Kodiac and Bristol Bay licet comprised 17 American aud 2 foreign vessels, and caught 7,635 barrels whale oil 

 and (18, sun pounds bone; \\hereas, in ls'7, 10 vessels caught 5,465 barrels whale oil aud 47,700 pounds boue, an 

 average of 511', barrels oil and 4,770 pouuds bune. 



The entire fleet of 68 vessels caught 47,600 barrels whale oil and 694,500 pouuds bone, an average of 700 barrels 

 oil and 10,213 pounds bone, showing a better average than in 1867, when 101 vessels caught an average of 642 barrels 

 nil and '.t,u'.i3 pounds bone. 



The Cumberland Inlet fled comprised 12 American vessels, of which 4 returned, bringing 2,250 barrels whale oil 

 and :it),OOU pounds bone. The bark Andrews; was totally lost, having no oil on board. The fleet for 1869 will number 

 about the same as in I,-M|-I ; 7 vessels are wintering there, aud had taken, up to the latest dates, bur live whales. 



The year opened with sperm oil dull at $2, aud continued about the same for six months, -when it dropped to $1.75 

 Si. -ii, at which it stood for nearly three mouths, when it was put to $2, where it remained for a brief period, aud 

 when wanted for export in October declined to $1.78 @ $1.75, at which 10,000 barrels were sold. 



Whale oil opened at 65 cents, and steadily improved to 82 cents 1st of August, when, under unfavorable news 

 from the northern fleet, rapidly advanced to $1.1", aud, in consequence of the absence of further reports from the 

 licet, was still further advanced, with sales at $1.15 $1.25. After the news of the great success was received, in 

 October, it was very dull, and closed with sales of 400 barrels at about, $1. 



Whalebone opened at 70 ceuts, gold, steadily declined until July, with sales at 60 cents, gold, when an improve- 

 ment was established aud the market, under the, unfavorable reports, rose rapidly to $1.40 $1.42|, at which but few 

 sales were made, and later, upon full reports from the fleet, the market became demoralized, aud receded to 75 80 

 cents, gold, at which large sales were made at the close of the year. 



The imports in 18G8 were 47,174 barrels sperm, 65,575 barrels whale oil, aud 900,>s~>0 pounds bone, against 43,433 

 barrels sperm, 89,289 barrels whale oil and 1.001,397 pounds bone, in 1867, showing an increase of sperm oil, but a 

 considerable decrease of whale oil and bone. 



The exports for 18(18 were 18,916 barrels sperm, 9,885 barrels whale oil, and 707,882 pounds whalebone, against 

 25,147 barrels sperm, 18,253 barrels whale oil, and 717,796 pounds whalebone in 1867, showiug a marked decrease 

 especially of sperm aud whale oil, but it should be stated that about 4,500 barrels sperm oil purchased in December 

 for export have not beeu cleared at the New York custom-house. 



The home consumption of sperm oil in 1863 was 19,055 barrels; of whale oil, 72,390 barrels, aud of whalebone, 

 246,968 ponuds. In 1867 it was 22,986 barrels sperm ; 58,836 barrels whale oil, and 181,600 pounds whalebone, showing 

 a decrease of sperm oil, but a very satisfactory increase of whale oil and -whalebone. 



The stock of oils aud whalebone on hand January 1, 1869, was 13,000 barrels sperm, 16,700 barrels whale oil, and 

 and 200,000 pounds bone, against 8,000 pounds sperm, 33,400 barrels whale, and 274,000 pounds bone same time 

 1868. 



TRADE I'.EVIEW FOR 1869. 



Review of the whale fishery for 1869. The year 1869 has not proved a satisfactory one to those engaged in the whale . 

 fishery. It opened with good prices for oils and bone, which were well sustained through the summer, since which 

 time, owing to increased stocks, depression in business everywhere, caused by the New York gold panic iu September, 

 and the favorable news from the Arctic Ocean, there has been a general decline to present quotations of $1.55 for 

 .-perm, 70 cents for humpback, 85 cents for Arctic oil, and 85 cents, gold, for Arctic bone, equal to about $1 currency, 

 tin- decline for the year being about 2.~> per cent. During the summer about 25,000 barrels refined seal oil were 

 imported from the provinces ami brought here by our manufacturers, thereby displacing from consumption an equal 

 quantity of whale oil, which is now held by our importers, and which acroruts for the excess of the present stock 

 over that of a year ago. The seal oil, which is of inferior consistency to whale, is said to have been largely mixed 

 with whale aud lard oils, thereby prejudicing { \\,~ reputation of pure whale and lard oils. The increased import of 

 whale oil in l.-'69 over l.- J i;- J was mainly owing to the sending home from the Sandwich Islands of oil caught in the 

 previous years, only about 3,000 barrels having been carried north by the fleet in 1869, against 14,000 barrels in 1868. 

 The generally unprofitable results of voyages terminated during the year, coupled with the low prices now ruling, 

 are not favorable to the present fitting of the vessels in port which constitute over one-sixth of our small fleet. 



Of the one hundred aud two whalers that have arrived during the year, only about one quarter may be said to 

 have made profitable returns; eveu those, at present prices, would barely have saved their owners from a loss. . 



The new year opens with another reduction in the fleet, both iu number of vessels and tonnage. The whole 

 number of American vessels engaged in the whale fishery January 1, 1870, is 218 ships aud barks, 22 brigs, 81 schooners, 



