8 NATURAL HISTORY OP AQUATIC ANIMALS. 



by hereditary practice or instinct) to swim along the coral islands of the Pacific, within a stone's 

 throw of the shore, they cannot understand, their instinct is not prepared to meet, shallow coasts 

 and projecting headlands." 



Murray's views, though suggestive, are, perhaps, not entirely well iounded. It is certain, 

 however, that the favorite haunts of the species have always been in the warmer seas, within or 

 upon the verge of the tropics. 



ABUNDANCE IN FOEMER DAYS ON THE COAST OF THE UNITED STATES. There is no reason 

 to doubt that Sperm Whales were at one time, nearly two centuries back, as abundant in the 

 North Atlantic as in more recent years in the, North Pacific. The vigorous prosecution of the 

 whale fishery since the early part of the eighteenth century by American vessels has had much to 

 do with their present scarcity. The traditions of the American whale fishery all point to their con- 

 siderable abundance near the eastern coast of the United States. 



Macy, the historian of Nantucket, narrates that the first Sperm Whale known to that settle- 

 ment was found dead and ashore on the southwest part of the island, and that the first taken by 

 Nantucket whalemen was captured about the year 1712 by Christopher Hussey, who, " cruising 

 near the shore for Right Whales, was blown off some distance from the land by a strong northerly 

 wind, where he fell in with a school of that species of whale, and killed one and brought it home." 1 

 That Sperm Whales cannot at that time have been rare near the shore, may be inferred from the 

 fact that the Nantucket Sperm Whale fleet which was then fitted out, and which three years later 

 consisted of six sloops, producing oil to the value of $5,500 annually, were usually absent only 

 six weeks, during which time they procured the blubber of one or two whales. 2 The Boston 

 "News Letter" of October 2, 17C6, stated: "Since our last a Number of Vessels have arrived from 

 Whaling. They have not been successful generally. One of them viz: Capt. Clark on Thursday 

 morning last discovered a Spermaceti Whale near George's Banks, manu'd his Boat, and gave Chase 

 to her & she coming up with her Jaws against the Bow of the Boat struck it with such Violence 

 that it threw a son of the Captain (who was forward, ready with his Lance) a considerable Height 

 from the Boat, and when he fell the Whale turned with her devouring Jaws opened, and caught 

 him. He was heard to scream, when she closed her Jaws, and part of his Body was seen out of 

 her Mouth when she turned and went off." 3 



The log of the whaling sloop "Betsey," of Dartmouth, records that on August L', 1701, her 

 crew saw two Sperm Whales and killed one in latitude 45 54', longitude 53 57': this would be in 

 the gully between the Grand Bank and Green Bank, about fifty miles west of Whale Deep, in the 

 Grand Bank, and sixty miles south of the entrance to St. Mary Bay, Newfoundland. August 9, this 

 vessel and her consort killed two to the south and west of the Grand Bank in latitude 42 57'. lu 

 1822 Captain Atwood was on the "Laurel," of Provincctown, which took ;v Sperm Whale ou the 

 sixth day out, on the course to the Azores, just east of the Gulf Stream, and less than 500 miles 

 from Cape Cod. The nearest grounds upon which Sperm Whales now regularly occur are those to 

 the north and east of Cape Hatteras, the "Hatteras Ground," and a ground farther south known as 

 the "Charleston Ground." The last one observed on the New England coast was very young, only 

 sixteen feet long, and was taken near New Bedford, Mass., March 29, 1842. 4 



In Douglass' " North America," published in 1755, it is stated that Spermaceti Whales -'are to 

 be found almost everywhere, but are most plenty upon the coast of Virginia and Carolina." 



1 MACY, ZACCHEUS : History of Nautucket, p. 36. 



"STARBUCK, ALEXANDER: in Report U. S. Fish Commission, part iv, 1878, p. 0. 



"STARBUCK, op. cil., p. 46-47. 



<1845. JACKSON, J. B. S. : Boston Journ. Nat. Hist., 1845, p. 138, pi. 16, fig. 1 (the stomach). 



