146 NOTES ON TASMANIAN WHAI.IN(;, 



to follow a successful Captain and a lucky ship. The crews 

 after signing on were given an advance of pay, and the 

 ships anchored in mid-stream, and then the difficulty be- 

 gan. The men had to be dragged, often drugged and 

 drunk, fi'om the hotels to the ship, and when all (or 

 sufficient) "had been collected, the cruise, which might last 

 two years or over, commenced. 



Some of these cruises were short and highly profitable, 

 on others a shijo after months and even years at sea might 

 make Hobart Town a "clean ship, ' i.e., with no oil. An 

 instance of the former was the fitting of the barque "Asia" 

 for sea in 1870. The cost of the ship, fitting, all stora<s 

 and advances paid to the crew amovinted to j£6,750 18s. 

 In ten months she had returned to Hobart with 68 tuns 

 of sperm oil at £90 per tun of a total value of .£6,120. 

 Endless examples of unsuccessful voyages can also be given. 

 Among owners and ships during these three decades 

 1850-60-70 the names of the following owners and ships 

 may be noticed. The list, however, is not intended to 

 be full or complete and only touches lightly the full tally. 

 Such names include : — 



Charles Seal, Esq., Dr. W . L. Cruwther, 



Prince Regent Elizabeth Jane, Schooner, 



Maria Orr (lost 1841) Captain Abbott 



Aladdin Offley, Baxque, Captain 



Sussetx Robinson 



Southern Cross Sapphire, Barque, Captain 



Pride (Brig) Sanderson 



Velocity, Schooner 

 McGregor Bros. Flying Squirrel, Schooner 



Flying Childers Isabella, Barque, Captain 



Derwent Hunter Chamiberlain 



Asia A. Sherwin, Esq., 



Emily Downing Marie Laurie 



Louisa 

 H. Bayley, Esq., Zephyr 



Runnymede Capt. E. Lucas, 



Isle of France 

 — . Johnston, Esq., H. Hopkins, Esq., 



Othello Nautilus 



The "Othello" being perhaps the most consistently 

 lucky aaid successful ship sailing out of Hobart. 



Captain A. B. Robinson, who commanded in succes- 

 sion the "Velocity," "Emily Downing," and "Othello," is 

 living now at Glenorchy, and it is to him I am greatly 

 indebted for much of the information in reference to the 

 Whaling grounds and taking of the Sperm whales. 



