274 ! THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN 



losses. In other words, virtually 25% of the 81 voyages were 

 losing ones.^ Of 68 whalers which were expected to arrive in 

 New Bedford and Fairhaven during the year 1858, no less 

 than 44, or 64.7%, were placed in the loss column for an ag- 

 gregate amount of not less than $1,000,000.'* In 1871 a still 

 greater catastrophe stunned the industry j for during that sea- 

 son the entire Arctic fleet, with the exception of only five 

 whalers, was caught in the ice and smashed into kindling-wood. 

 Thirty-three vessels, together with all equipment, carried 

 down with them an investment of more than $1,500,000.^ 

 And again in 1876 the same episode was repeated, though for- 

 tunately on a smaller scale. 



But the wide fluctuations of whaling cargoes and earnings 

 appear unmistakably even in the relatively successful operations 

 which seldom, if ever, chanced to show actual losses. Jona- 

 than Bourne, during a career of 53 years as an unusually pros- 

 perous New Bedford whaling merchant, acted as agent for 

 24 vessels, aggregating 7461 tons. This fleet, which made a 

 total of 148 voyages during a period of 4421 months, secured 

 an average catch per voyage of 487 barrels of sperm oil, 1136 

 barrels of whale oil, and 12,504 pounds of whalebone. 

 Clearly a record which permitted justifiable pride! But be- 

 hind such an eminently satisfactory average were countless 

 variations of vessels and cargoes. Witness even the earnings 

 of the Bartholomew Gosnold, one of the most consistently 

 successful members of the fleet. During thirteen consecutive 

 cruises, ending in the respective years given, this whaler 

 yielded cargoes which sold, approximately, for the following 

 amounts: * 



1836 $33»ooo 1858 $57,000 



1839 30,000 1862 $ 43,000 



1843 33>ooo 1866 105,000 



1847 39)Ooo 1870 83,000 



1851 21,000 1876 81,000 



1854 63,000 1880 27,000 



1885 48,000 



' Starbuck, A., "History of the American Whale Fishery," p. 149. 



* Ibid. , : 



* Old Dartmouth Historical Society Sketches, No. 45, p. 43. 

 ^ Ibid., No. 44, pp. n and 2i. 



