CHAPTER IV. 
THE GOLDEN ERA OF WHALING. 1815-1860. 
The War of 1812 quite effectually put a stop to extensive 
whaling operations. In 1813, 1814 and 1815 the imports 
of whale products fell to a small fraction of what they had 
been even in the unsettled times of a few years before, 
and the exports ceased almost entirely under the opera- 
tion of the embargoes. A comparison of the amounts of 
imports for two representative years will show the extent 
of the war’s influence. 
Imports OF WHALE PRODUCTS. 
Gallons Gallons Pounds 
Sperm Oil. Whale Oil. Bone. 
DOU aes srayeve niece (OAL. 2OO 304,825 43,200 
MCE aaayaie eideebelatece <p Oy SLO 4,347 Pa 
From 1810 to 1815 Nantucket and New Bedford were 
the only ports sending out more than a single vessel and 
in 1812, 1813 and 1814, Nantucket alone kept any of its 
whaling fleet employed.! 
The news of the peace came early in the year 1815 and 
brought almost immediate activity to the whale fishery.? 
Ships were soon fitted and sent to sea both by the old 
firms and by new adventurers who added to the fleet. 
The belief that the first cargoes of oil would bring high 
prices as they had at the close of the Revolution acted as 
a powerful stimulus to the industry and led many to 
venture beyond the extent of their funds. The result of 
this condition at Nantucket, says Macy,’ was the intro- 
1 Starbuck’s records of sailing, p. 18off. 
7 Macy, p. 205. 
* Macy, p. 207. 
