152 THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN 



and direct voyages. Even the scattered areas of the South 

 Pacific required cruises which were less complicated than those 

 of the sperm industry. 



But with the mid-century development of the Behring 

 Straits and Arctic Grounds the center of gravity of the right 

 whale fishery shifted to the North Pacific. Vessels sailed 

 from the eastern coast of the United States in the autumn in 

 order to round Cape Horn during the southern summer, 

 reached Honolulu in March or April, spent one or two weeks 

 there in recruiting, and then departed for the northern season, 

 which kept them in the general vicinity of Behring Straits un- 

 til October or November. This was known as the "regular 

 season." When the severe cold and heavy ice of the winter 

 months forced them to leave such high latitudes, they returned 

 to the Sandwich Islands for several weeks' recruiting. There- 

 after they proceeded to more southerly grounds, on the look- 

 out for either sperm or right whales, until the following 

 spring, when they again touched at Honolulu and repeated the 

 performance of the previous year. These winter months to 

 the southward were referred to as the "between seasons" 

 period. In this manner one, two, or three "regular seasons," 

 requiring respectively eighteen, thirty, or forty-two months, 

 would be passed before returning to the home port in the 

 United States. 



Many captains who were attracted by the Sea of Okhotsk 

 went out by way of the Cape of Good Hope 3 but the Cape 

 Horn-Honolulu route remained the more popular. Hono- 

 lulu formed the logical base for such long-time operations, and 

 possessed many strategic advantages which could not be ig- 

 nored. Unfortunately the element of chance was so promi- 

 nent in whaling that deviations from these established lanes 

 were frequently necessitated. In fact, at times the prear- 

 ranged routes seemed honored more in the breach than in the 

 observance. But in spite of countless variations they were 

 commonly followed as the basic plans for the long voyages.® 



5 For further detailed material concerning the whaling grounds, routes, and 

 seasons, see Wilkes, C, "Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedi- 

 tion," V, pp. 487 et passim; Goode, G. B. (Editor), "Fisheries and Fishery 

 Industries of the United States," II, pp. 7-26; Scannmon, C. M., "The Marine 



