Till': WHALE EISHEKY. 



ruption; As \vt> now linil One of our Vessels is captured & carried to Now York, but without any 

 Oil on lioanl, and Two others have lately been taken & carried into Boston & Salem, under pre- 

 tense of having double papers on board, (Nevertheless we presume the captors will no! sa.v that 

 any of our Whalemen have. gone into New York during the .season as such a charge would have 

 no foundation in Truth). And if due attention is not paid to this valuable branch, which if it was 

 viewed in all its parts, perhaps would appear the most advantageous, of any possess'd by this 

 Government, it will be entirely lost, if the War continues: We view it with regret & mention it 

 with concern. & from the gloomy prospect nov, before ns, we apprehend many of the Inhabitants 

 must quit the Island, not being able even to provide necessaries for the approaching Winter: some 

 will retreat to the Continent & set down in the Western Governments; and the most active in the 

 Fishery will most probably go to distant Countries, where they can have every encouragement, 

 by Nations who are eagerly wishing to embrace so favourable an opportunity to accomplish their 

 desires; which will be a great loss to the Continent in general, but more to this Government in 

 particular. We beg leave to impress the consideration of this important subject, not as the judg- 

 ment of an insignificant few, but of a Town which a few Years since stood the Third in Bank (if 

 we mistake not) in bearing the Burthens of Government; It was then populous and abounded 

 with plenty, it is yet populous but is covered with poverty. Your Memorialists have made choice 

 of Samuel Starbuck, Josiah Barker, William Botch, Stephen Hnssey and Timothy Folger, as their 

 Committee who can speak more fully to the several matters coutaiu'd in this Memorial, or any 

 other thing that may concern this County, to whom we desire to refer yon. Signed in behalf of 



the Town by 



'"FREDERICK FOLGER, 



" ' Town Clerk: 



"This memorial was referred to a committee consisting of George Cabot, esq., on behalf of the 

 senate, and General Ward and Colonel McCobb on the part of the house, which committee on 

 the ^9th of October made the following report: 



'" That altho' the Facts set forth in said Memorial are true and the Memorialists deserve 

 Relief in the premises, yet as no adequate Relief can be given them but by the United States in 

 Congress assembled, therefore it is the opinion of the Committee that the said Memorial be referr'd 

 to the consideration of Congress, and the Delegates of this Commonwealth be required to use 

 their Endeavours to impress Congress with just Ideas of the high worth & Importance of the 

 Whale fishery to the United States in general, & this State in particular.'* 



"This report was accepted, and it was ordered that the delegates lie furnished with a copy of 

 the memorial, and be required to take the action indicated in the report. 



'' In addition to the action of the general court, the town also sent William Itotch and Samuel 

 Starbuck to Philadelphia to intercede personally in the matter. After conferring with General 



'Mass. Cul. Mss , Iviitmiis, i, \>\<. rJl-."i-i>-7-iS-'J. A memorandum a> e-onipanie's Ibis, which various cireum- 

 st. -HUM'S .sci'in tii iinlii'ate is (In- \vurk of Mr. Kotch, and which sa\s : ' 1 '< -i -li.-i|i.s some of those reports may have origin at IM! 

 from this :i Commit tor of our Island in I IK- f'mv part of tin 1 ye-ar 17-1 applied to some of tin- Members of the (!< ueral 

 Court and spread before them lh<- pi-< -ulhir e-.iroumstanee-s wherein the Island was involved, one whereof was that 

 our Vessels whenever thej passed in or mil were perfectly uuder the controul of the Unions and it was therefore 



neee-s:ir\ that permits si Id lie obtained from them for our Vessels lei preiee-e-el on the- W halt) -fishery since which 



time- si mi e of them have- been tal.e-n by i he> Ainei lean i'l ivaliM-rs I'm having such Permits and \ve are- thereby reduced 

 to this difficulty that if\\e carry our Vessels over the- bar wiMiont pe-mm iVom the Ilritish Admiral they are< made 

 pri/.e- I, i the- BritOU3 if they have- such permits tln-\ are' ta\en by our eiwn Ciniutn men and mir harbour is there- 

 fore completely shut up and all our prospects terminate in pm. rlv anil distress what gives us great cone'crn is that 

 our people who understand I lie \Vli;ile- lishery will be driveu lei foreign m-iil ral ( 'mint lies and many years must pass 

 away before we- shall again be enabled I" puisne- a branch of business w Ine-h b.i i li been in tiine-s past our snppoYt and 

 hath yie-Ieleel sue' It lame a ill - I o 1 1 ie ( 'em i me i -e-e of 1 1 1 i s ( ID m try.'" 



SEC. \, VOL. u 



