FOREWORD. XXI 



worth a cool $34,000. That opened up the way to the 

 Arctic, which became a favorite hunting ground. 



The year 1857 was probably high water mark so far 

 as the number of vessels clearing New England ports. New 

 Bedford had long ago outstripped her early rival, Nan- 

 tucket. In 1857 New Bedford had 329 whalers, or if the 

 minor ports in the bay be added, 426. Nantucket owned 

 but 41, and most of these sailed from other ports. The 

 cause of Nantucket's decline as a whaling port was due to a 

 bar which obstructed her harbor, and which, when large 

 whaling ships became the rule, proved a serious obstacle. 

 Congress short-sightedly refused aid, and after heroic 

 efforts to float the big ships over the bar by means of a 

 "camel" or floating dock operated under its own steam, 

 the islanders largely gave up the fight, and by 1874 Nan- 

 tucket had disappeared from the annals of whaling 

 altogether. 



The Civil War has been given more than its due of 

 blame for the decline of the whaling industry. Eebel 

 privateers did some destruction, it is true, and whaling 

 masters, not caring to fit out for cruises under such risks, 

 sold their ships or transferred them to the merchant 

 service. Forty vessels were bought by the United States 

 Government for the famous stone .fleet, sunk across the 

 mouth of the harbors of Charleston and Savannah to put 

 a stop to the blockade running of these southern waters. 



Had not the fishery been dying from natural causes, 

 however, it would have recovered easily from the blows 

 of the Civil War, as it had already recovered from much 

 severer disasters in the Eevolution and the War of 1812. 

 The fact is, it did revive the moment peace was declared ; 

 new ships were built and everything started merrily enough. 



