136 NOTES ON TASMANIAN WHALING, 



"value than that oil which is paler, fi'om its burning quality 

 "being impaired ; this is chiefly owing to want of care in 

 "the boiling of the blubber. The method in use on board 

 "the British South Seamen for producing the oil of good 

 "colour and quality is mainly to keep the contents of the 

 "boiler stirred with a polo, to the end of which is attached 

 "a chain about 20 inches in length. This prevents the 

 "dregs from burning to the bottom of the boiler, and which, 

 "precaution, if neglected, will eventually cause the oil to 

 "become dark and of a heavy consistency." 



In this year, 1825, although no Hobart Town Ships 

 had departed for the South Sea Fishery, the intermediate 

 step had been taken betweeai it and Bay Whaling ; that 

 is to say, local vessels had commenced to take the whales 

 around our coasts and inlets. 



The Schooner "Sally" ("Capt. Lovett), owner Capt. J. 

 M. Wilson, sailed on July 9th for a Whaling cruise in 

 D'Entreicasteaux Channel; 12 days later news came that 

 she had already taken 2 whales. On August 21st the 

 Hohart Town Gazette reports among the arrivals "The 

 "Schooner 'Sally' from D Entrecasteaux Channel with oil, 

 "as she was in the Harbour on Wednesday morning, she 

 "heeled and filled with water immediately, she has since 

 "been got up." 



Evidently the ship was none the worse, as on October 

 13th the "Sally" is reported as leaving under Oapt. Lovett 

 with 17 men on a sealing cruise to Now Zealand. Mel- 

 ville (Ed. Colonial Tinies) in a retrospect writes as follows 

 on the rise of our Bay whaling: — 



"Another invaluable asset to the Colon}', as an export, 

 "is oil, and which is referred particularly to, both by the 

 "circumstances that attend its acquisition, and by its being 

 "a branch of a trade not capable of being over done. It 

 "may be remarked that the situation of the Island arid the 

 "numeirous nooks or Bays with which it abounds, render 

 "it such a place of resort for whales throughout the winter, 

 "that the equipment of a few boats, and the erection of 

 "a boiler or two upon shore for rendering down the oil, 

 "are nearly sufficient, as the outfit of what may be con- 

 "sidered witu tolerable certainty a profitable enterprise. 

 "The consequence is that each winter, fresh parties, emu- 

 "lating those of longer establishment, fit out whaling ex- 

 "peditions, and the success that has invariably attended 

 "them, is a strong inducement both to them and others, to 

 . "return with energy in future seasons. 



