Bringing in a finback whale at Ulsan, Korea, 

 harpoon rope 



A ■' whiale spade" is being used to cut tlie 



commercially profitable and the hunt was abandoned. This was in the 

 early seventy's; since then the gray whale has been lost to science. 



While in Japan in 1910, I heard reports from the Oriental Whaling 

 Company that a whale called the devilfish, constituted the basis of their 

 fishery on the Korean shores during the months of December and January. 

 I was tremendously interested in this for it seemed that possibly here was 

 to be an opportunity of rediscovering the gray whale. At that time it 

 was impossible to visit the Korean stations because it was already the 

 middle of February when I arrived in Japan from a long cruise south of 

 the equator, but after the success of 1910 it seemed to be of paramount 

 importance to investigate the gray whale fishery. 



The Oriental Whaling Company at once invited the Museum to con- 

 tinue the work of the preceding season and agreed to render all assistance 

 in its power for accomplishing the desired work. The company had al- 

 ready presented to the Museum skeletons of six large whales and ten por- 

 poises which had been taken during the year 1910. The courtesies of 

 its stations and ships had been freely extended and every help rendered 

 in securing for us specimens of the whales desired. It was therefore ex- 

 ceedingly liberal in the president and directors of the company to continue 

 to give their support and was indicative of the true scientific spirit with 

 which the Japanese nation is inspired. 



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