62 A History of the American Whale Fishery. ° 
mustering a fleet of ninety-two vessels in 1850, no longer 
sent out a single whaler. Thus whaling as a true Paci- 
fic coast industry was not regularly established until after 
the decline of whaling had become marked at the Atlan- 
tic ports, and whatever growth was shown was in the face 
of adverse conditions. 
During the succeeding years there were spasmodic 
movements in the whaling business, as the result of some 
rise in prices or some new instance of a phenomenal 
voyage. But on the whole the San Francisco fleet alone 
showed any steady growth. From 1869 to 1880 the 
fleet from that port was never larger than eight sail, and 
during most of the time it numbered only one or two 
sail. But after 1880 the growth was fairly rapid for a 
number of years. 
The steam whaling vessel was introduced into the fleet 
in 1880, bringing about a sort of revolution in Arctic 
whaling. Up to this time the northern fleet had been 
accustomed to winter in San Francisco or at some other 
port in the Pacific, spending the time either in refitting 
or perhaps in short cruises for whales in the milder 
latitudes. The so-called “lagoon whaling,’’ in the arms 
and lagoons of Magdalena Bay was a favorite form of 
employment during the winter season. As early as 1848, 
fifty ships were anchored there for this purpose, the whal- 
ing being done entirely from boats.* As soon as spring 
opened, the vessels went north again to wait for the ice 
to break up so that they could pass through Bering Strait. 
In the autumn the vessels returned with their cargoes, 
which were transshiped to the east from San Francisco, 
Panama, Honolulu and other points.* 
With the introduction of the steam whaling vessel, 
however, arose the practice of remaining in the Arctic 
during the winter in order to be earlier on the grounds 
18 “Shipping List,’’ 1850. Scammon, p. 241. 
1 Scammon, p. 268. 
18 Goode, p. 26. 
