Tin: WHAM: FISHERY. 127 



them. Long practice had made them familiar with it, and a singleness of pursuit had kept them 

 comparatively ignorant of any other occupation. But the great problem was how to carry it on, 

 even in the limited way to which, by the destruction of their vessels, they were restricted. If they 

 sailed under American protection, the English captured and destroyed their vessels and imprisoned 

 their men ; if they cleared with the sanction of English safeguards, the Americans performed for 

 them the same kindly offices. Between the upper and the nether millstones of war they were quite 

 ground to powder. In their extremity they learned that the English were inclined to be lenient 

 toward them in the matter, and they had quite reliable assurance that the leading men of the 

 American Government looked compassionately upon the distressed situation of the unfortunate 

 islanders. 



"Influenced by these considerations, the inhabitants sent Timothy Folger, esq., to New York, 

 to represent the condition they were in, and solicit permission to carry on whaling without danger 

 of capture from British cruisers. They asked permits for twenty fishing boats to fish around the 

 island, for four vessels to be employed in the whale fishery, for ten small vessels to supply the 

 inhabitants with wood, and for one to go to New York for some fe\v supplies not obtainable else- 

 where.* Their petition was not so successful as they had wished." 



AMERICAN VESSELS GRANTED PERMITS FOR TVHALING. "In 1781 Admiral Digby succeeded 

 Admiral Arbuthnot in the command of the English fleet in these waters, and permission to whale 

 was asked of him,t and permits were issued for twenty-four vessels to pursue the business 

 unmolested by English armed cruisers.^ 'This privilege,' says Macy, 'seemed to give new life 

 to the people. It produced a considerable movement in business, but the resources of the island 

 had so diminished that but a small number of vessels could take the benefit of these permits. 

 Those who had vessels, and were possessed of the means, fitted them out on short voyages, and, 

 had there been no hindrance, it is probable that they would have done well ; for the whales, 



""Maey, ll:i." 



t Mr. Macy gives us to understand that no permits were granted, but this must be an error; for Mr. Rotch (vide 

 MS.X who was one of the committee the succeeding year to obtain grants from the English, mentions an accusation 

 made by Commodore Affleck, of abuse of confidence in regard to the permits which were granted the year before, and 

 that scarcely a vessel could bo found but had one of these documents. To this Mr. Rotch replied: 'Commodore 



Affleck, thou hast been greatly imposed upon in this matter. I dtfy Capt. to make such a declaration to my 



face. Those Permits were put into my hands. I delivered them, taking receipts for each, to be returned to me at 

 the cud of the voyage, and an obligation that no transfer should be made or copies given. I received back all the 

 Permits except two before I left home, anil should probably have received those two on the day that I sailed. Now 

 if any duplicity has been practiced, I am the person who is accountable., and I am hero to take the punishment such 

 perfidy deserves.' -Mr. 1,'otch's character as a man ami a merchant stood too high, to be questioned, and the commo- 

 dore, whoa moment he!'< % ioleut. became more genial, and replied, 'You deserve favor,' and assisted Mr. 

 Rotcli to obtain it. The termination of this dilliculty is but one example of the manner in which all these slanders, 

 from both English and Americans, were disposed of when the accused could have an opportunity of confronting the 

 accusers or those in authority." 



'(The following is a copy of one of these permits, from Macy, p. 11.".: 



" '[L. s.] By Robert Digby, Esquire, Rear Admiral of the Red, and Commander-in-chief, &c., &c. 

 James < "Permission is hereby given to the Dolphin brig, burthen sixty tons, Walter Folger owner, 



ubailiah iv navigated Ivy Gilbert Folger as master and the twelve seamen named in the margin, to leave the 



island of Naiilnc' -ed on a whaling voyage, to commence the first of January, 1782, 



and end i ly of - following, provided that they have on board the necessary whaling 



Fetor 1'oUard ' lllf ' provisions only, and that (he master of said brig is possessed of a certificate from the 



-Andrew Coleman selectmen of the said island. s> ! ting forth that she is bone fide the property of the inhabitants of the 

 i iiieil llarnard island, with I he names of i he mauler and seamen in her; and that she shall not be found proceed- 



JonathaD iiiiggs { n ^ with her cargo in anj Other port than Nan tucket or New York. 

 '"Dated at Xew York, Lb <'>er, 17-1. 



'ROBERT DIGP.Y. 



" ' To the eommis-siouersof his majesty's ships ami vessels of war, as well as of all privateer. sand letters of marque. 

 " ' By command of the Admiral : 



" THOMAS M. PALMER.'" 



