FOREWORD. Xlll 



whale, keeping agilely clear of his deadly flukes, and with 

 their crude, stone-pointed spears and arrows gradually 

 worry him to death. Then they dragged him ashore, called 

 their "chief lords" together, sang a song of triumph, and, 

 dividing the spoil, gave every member of the tribe a share. 



Among the Indians no part of the captured whale save 

 the actual bones, was useless. Blubber and lean meat were 

 served up as delicacies, and the oil took the place of the 

 white man's butter. Stomach and intestines, inflated and 

 carefully dried, did duty as excellent oil-bottles, while the 

 mighty sinews of the flukes made firm lines and ropes for 

 the catching of more whales. 



Since the savages would accept in pay for their labor, 

 many to them valueless parts of a whale's carcass, the white 

 invaders were happy to employ their savage skill in whal- 

 ing, providing them with the deadly European "harping- 

 iron" and lance to replace their light spears. 



Up to 1650 the settlers probably went little further than 

 to keep a sharp lookout for drift-whales, squabbling vigor- 

 ously when they came ashore, enacting statutes to regulate 

 the squabbles, and occasionally going off shore in pursuit of 

 a live whale which, when dispatched, they towed to the 

 beach to be cut up and tried out for oil. 



In all probability Long Island deserves the honor of 

 organizing whaling on a business basis. Shore lookouts 

 were built from which the "blow" of whales might be seen 

 if they came near shore, and a regular system of watches 

 was established. It is recorded that in this way they 

 "saved" many whales. Saved! It all depends on the point 

 of view. I venture to say it looked different to the whale ! 



Cape Cod was not much behind. By 1688 Secretary 

 Eandolph was writing home from Massachusetts, "New 

 Plimouth Colony have great profit by whale-killing." By 



