CHAPTER II. 
THE ORIGIN OF WHALING. 
A little over a half century ago the whale fishery was 
one of the most prosperous and profitable industries of 
Southern New England. The arrival and departure of 
whaling vessels were everyday events at New Bedford, 
then the greatest of all whaling ports. Now the coming 
of a schooner full laden, from a short successful voyage 
causes a flurry of comment as an unusual occurrence, 
and the older generation recalls the days when whaling 
was in its prime. The exciting stories of voyages, of 
shipwreck, fierce encounters with whales, hairbreadth 
escapes, as well as the more prosaic question of profits 
and losses no longer furnish an important topic of con- 
versation as they did in the younger days of our fathers 
and grandfathers in many a New England town. Within 
the history of this country whaling has risen, passed its 
zenith and has now nearly sunk below the horizon of 
industrial importance. Few industries offer an oppor- 
tunity for such a complete study of the rise and decline. 
No other industry’s history presents a more interesting 
story. 
It is a common thing to find, when whaling is men- 
tioned, that many persons look upon it as having been 
what might almost be called an American monopoly, 
doing business mainly from New England ports. But 
about the middle of the seventeenth century, when the 
Massachusetts settlers were making their first attempt 
in the capture of whales, the Biscay fishermen had 
already extensively engaged in the whale fishery. The 
Dutch and English had followed their examples. The 
