AQUATIC rilODUCTS IN ARTS AND INDUSTIUES. 187 



|)il()t wlial(», Iho Ix'luiiii or wliili^ \vli;il(^, and m;iii y species wliicli aiv not, 

 [)()pularly known as wliales, including tlie narwhal, <;i'ainpus, oica or 

 killei-, (]olphins, porpoises, etc. Tlie bone-bearing wliales ai-e divisi- 

 l)le into Iwo classes, {a) smooth whales and {}>) furvowod whales, or 

 i-orquals. The first embraces the right whales of different species 

 and the bowhead or Arctic whale, all of which are prized for their oil 

 and baleen. Of the rorquals, or those whales possessing longitudinal 

 folds of blubber on throat and stomach, may be mentioned the hump- 

 back, finback, sulpliur-bottom, and California gray whale. As these 

 are ordinarily difficult of capture and are of minor value, the whale- 

 l)one being rather short for commercial use, they have not been pur- 

 sued so extensively as have the sperm, right, and bowhead whales. 

 In the United States markets the standard varieties of oils are " sperm 

 oil " and "whale oil," and sometimes "humpback oil." " Whale oil" 

 is a mixture of the product of all whales except the sperm whale, and 

 sometimes includes that of black-fish and walrus. 



The use of whale oil appears to be of ancient origin. Doubtless it 

 was first obtained from whales accidentally stranded on the shores, a 

 more frequent occurrence during the early abundance of the cetaceans 

 than pA present, when their numbers have been so greatly reduced by 

 excessive fisheries. As the demand for the oil increased Ijeyond the 

 sui)ply available from stranded whales, individuals sighted from the 

 shore were attacked and beached. Owing to the frailtj^ of the boats 

 and equipment, this was a more daring attempt than might be sup- 

 posed. It is difficult to trace the origin of the fishery, but certainly 

 it was i)rosecuted a thousand years ago. 



Just prior to the Revolutionar}^ war, according to Starbuck and 

 other autliorities, there were 183 American vessels in the right- whale 

 fishery of the North Atlantic waters, and 125 were engaged in cruis- 

 ing for sperm whales from Newfoundland to the coast of Brazil. The 

 Revolutionary war and the war of 1812 interfered with the fisheries; 

 ])ut during the period of f)eace following 1815 they increased greatlj^ 

 in extent until 1846, when the fleet numbered G78 ships and barks, 35 

 l)rigs, and 22«schooners, a total of 735 vessels, with an aggregate ton- 

 nage of 233,189 tons, and a value of $21,075,000, exclusive of outfits 

 and supplies. The entire capital invested in the fishery and its asso- 

 ciated industries at that time approximated $40,000,000, and 40,000 

 persons derived from it their chief support. During the same year 

 the whaling fleet of all Europe numbered but 230 vessels. The crude 

 value of the American catch from 1840 to 1800 averaged about 

 $8,000,000 annually. The greatest value was in 1854, when 2,315,924 

 gallons of sperm oil worth ll.48| per gallon, 10,074,8GG gallons of 

 whale oil worth 59|^ cents per gallon, and 3,445,200 pounds of Avhale- 

 bone worth 39Jg^ cents per pound were secured, the total value being 

 $10,802,594. In the preceding year, 1853, the total j^roduct was 

 3,240,925 galhms of sperm oil, 8,193,591 gallons of whale oil, and 

 5,052,300 pounds of whalel)one, the whole valued at $10,700,521. 



