230 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



of sperm oil. The success of the vessels was an inducement for others lo engage in the sperm- 

 whale fishery, so that a few years after we sent out a large number of vessels. 



In 1855 the whaling fleet had increased to fifty-four vessels engaged in the Atlautie sperm- 

 whale fishery. We have had but two vessels from this port who have made voyages iu the Pacific for 

 whales. Schooner Mary E. Nason, Capt. Harvey Sparks, sailed in the summer of 1808 and returned 

 in 1871. Schooner Gage H. Phillips, Capt. John J. Cook, made her voyage after the Mary E. Nason. 

 Neither of these voyages proved a success, and the Pacific whaling has been abandoned. Of late 

 years the whaling fleet has been less iu number. In 1879 twenty vessels belonging here were 

 engaged iu the Atlantic whale fishery. In 18SO the whaling fleet, numbered twenty sail that cruised 

 iu the Atlantic for sperm aud other whales. The fleet iu 1881 numbered eighteen vessels that took 

 57,109 gallons of sperm oil, worth $40,141, and 52,218 gallons of whale oil, valued at $20,954. 



Early in March, 1S80, there came into Proviucetown Bay and harbor immense quantities of 

 herring and shrimps. They were followed by a great number of finback whales, which were here 

 most of the time in greater or less numbers until about the middle of May, when they all left. 

 During the time they were here many of them were killed with bomb lances. They sank when 

 killed and remained at the bottom some two or three days. They then came up to the top of the 

 water, and as they were liable to come up in the night or during rugged weather, when the whale- 

 men were not there to take them, many of them drifted out to sea and were lost. Thirty-eight 

 were brought in aud lauded at Jonathan Cook's oil works on Long Point. The blubber was taken 

 off aud the oil extracted from it in the above-named factory. Two others brought in were sold to 

 parties who took one of them to Boston and the other to New York, where they were exhibited, 

 making forty whales in all saved. Early in June immense quantities of sand eels (Ammodyten) 

 came in our harbor aud bay aud remained here several days. About the 10th of June there 

 appeared plenty of whales, feeding on the sand eels. They were again attacked by our men, when 

 a number of them were killed iu a few days, of which ten were saved aud lauded at the oil works. 

 Probably as many more that were not killed outright received their death wounds and went out of 

 the bay and soon after died and were lost. The forty-eight whales delivered at the oil works 

 yielded 950 barrels of oil, so'd at an average price of 40 cents per gallon. 



When the first whales were killed it was supposed the whalebone iu their mouths was worth- 

 less. It was not saved. Subsequently some was saved aud sold at 15 cents per pound. The 

 average quantity of boue in each whale is about 250 pounds. No whales have come in of late. 

 Our men are still anxiously looking for another school, hoping they will conic again and give 

 them another benefit. 



In the spring of 1881 the whales came into the bay again, but not in so large numbers. Fif- 

 teen were killed, which furnished 300 barrels of oil. 



THE PROVINCETOWN FISHERIES, 1800 TO 1870. In regard to the condition of the fisheries at 

 the opening of this decade, we cannot do better than to quote a few sentences from Freeman, who, 

 in his History of Cape Cod, written in 18G2, says : 



" In 1800 Provincetown might be pronounced beyond contradiction one of the most enter- 

 prising and flourishing towns in the country. The fisheries now, as ever, command much atten- 

 tion, and employ a great number of men and a very large amount of capital. These fisheries, it 

 may be said, train a large number of the most experienced and intrepid mariners in the world. 



"As the abolition of the bounty on salt caused the decliue of that branch of domestic manu- 

 facture, so the often threatened abolition of the fishing bounties may yet cause the decline and 

 even general abandonment of this branch of industry." 



