128 WHALE-FISHERY. 



In the " History of Whitby," by the Rev. G. 

 Young, we have some interesting notices respecting 

 the whale-fishery of this port. The author informs 

 lis, that the number of different vessels that have 

 been employed from Whitby in this trade, from 

 first to last, that is, from 1753 to 1817 inclu- 

 sive, is 53. " Of this number 8 have been lost in 

 the Greenland seas, and one burnt in the harbour, 

 when ready to proceed on her voyage." — " The 

 most disastrous year that has occurred was 1790, 

 when two ships were lost, and the j*est indifferently 

 fished." In 1792, out of seven ships that sailed to 

 the fishery, " one was lost, four returned home clearly 

 and the other two had but one fish each." The 

 first shipwreck took place in 1771, the last in 

 1792*. Hence we find, that since that period to 

 the present, though 178 ships have sailed from 

 Whitby to the fishery, including repeated voyages, 

 no loss has happened. " The most successful years 

 were 1811 and 1814: in the former, 7 ships 

 brought home 171 whales, producing 1181 tons of 

 oil, and 35 tons of fins ; in the latter, 8 ships 

 brought 172 whales, producing 1390 tons of oil, 

 and 42 tons of fins f . The number of ships dis- 

 patched from Whitby to Greenland and Davis' 

 Straits, including repeated voyages, in the space of 



* Young's History of Whitby, p. 5C)5. t Id. p. 566. 



