282 THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN 



Among the outstanding cases of long-continued success was 

 that of the bark Lagoda, of New Bedford. Throughout nine 

 consecutive voyages, occupying the years 1 841— 1873, the car- 

 goes of the Lagoda yielded profits ranging from 29.6% to 

 363.5% per voyage. Excluding the first cruise, the lowest 

 rate of profit secured on any one of the following eight ven- 

 tures was 66.9%. Exact dates and profits were as follows: 



■iJ'\' infill, \jn.ih.il ' 



Sailed Returned Absent Profits % 



Years Months Days 



Oct. 9, 1 84 1 Sept. 15, 1843 I II 6 29.60% 



Nov. 8, 1843 May 26, 1846 2 6 18 120.57% 



Aug. 25, 1846 June 13, 1849 2 918 66.96% 



July I, 1850 Apr. 23, 1853 2 9 22 177.19% 



Nov. 3, 1853 May 26, 1856 2 6 23 100.00% 



July 19, 1856 June 28, i860 3 ii 9 96.89% 



Aug. 27, i860 Apr. 18, 1864 3 721 363.50% 



July 25, 1864 May 26, 1868 3 10 i 219.00% 



July 25, 1868 June 5, 1873 4 10 10 115.25% 



Even this sequence of triumphs was finally broken, however, 

 by the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth voyages, which yielded, re- 

 spectively, a loss of $14,460.47, a small gain of $6,414.44, and 

 another loss of $10,253.55.^^ 



In striking contrast to such generous profits were other fig- 

 ures given out by a prominent whaling merchant in 1846. 

 These calculations comprised an estimate, based on long per- 

 sonal and family experience and wide acquaintance with the 

 conditions of the industry, of the average profits which might 

 reasonably be expected by sperm and right whalemen in either 

 the American or British fleets. It was held that a sperm 

 whaler of 350 tons, fitted for a four-years' cruise at a total out- 

 lay of 10,920 pounds sterling for vessel, outfit, and interest, 

 would yield, on the average, a profit of about 580 pounds ster- 



18 These figures were taken from the Old Dartmouth Historical Sketches, No. 

 45. PP- 33-38. They form part of an extended analysis of the accounts of the 

 Lagoda made by Benjamin Baker, a long-time confidential employee of the 

 firm which operated this vessel throughout her whaling career. Mr. Baker 

 thus had complete access to all the private accounts and papers pertaining to 

 these cruises. The figures in the "Absent" column furnish an admirable illus- 

 tration of the increasing length of voyage which was common to the entire 

 industry during this period; and the dates of returning and of the next sailing 

 show the brief spaces of time which a whaler was allowed to spend in her 

 home port. 



