486 ANNUAL REPOET SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1913. 



passing, that these scientific enterprises often lead to profitable 

 economic results. In the course of this expedition Larsen, the 

 captain of the Swedish exploring vessel, an experienced whaler, 

 observed the jDresence of numerous humpbacks about South Georgia, 

 and in December, 1904, he established himself on the island to hunt 

 these whales. The enterprise having proved a complete success, 

 others followed his example. In 1911 six companies with 18 boats 

 operated on this island and all were extremely successful. As the 

 Norwegian Fisheries Journal points out, there is in this region a 

 truly extraordinary abundance of whales, and the number of ceta- 

 ceans, chiefly humpbacks, taken at South Georgia during the last 

 season is estimated at the enormous number of 7,000. Of 970 whales 

 taken by one company 937 were humpbacks. 



The sulphurbottoms and common finbacks are both very abundant, 

 but, because they are more combative and more difficult to kill, 

 they are less disturbed. When the supply of humpbacks diminishes 

 their turn will come. Every year some right whales are captured 

 in this locality. During the southern summer of 1908-1909, 69 of 

 them were taken. 



The 7,000 whales above mentioned produced 34,000 metric tons of 

 oil, or double the production for the whole world only four years 

 previously. This enormous quantity would fill a basin in which a 

 whaler — that is to say, a steamer of from 100 to 120 tons — could 

 maneuver. 



On South Georgia, which was previously uninhabited, actual in- 

 dustrial callages have been established. A church has been erected, 

 and there are three slips for cutting up the whales, two guano fac- 

 tories, reservoirs for the oil, and houses for the staff. This Antarctic 

 island has a floating population of many hundreds of sailors and 

 workmen. A doctor resides there during the whaling season and, 

 since 1908, the British Government has established a post office in 

 this polar land. 



Farther to the south, in the region situated west of Cape Horn, 

 and explored by Dr. Charcot with so much profit to science, a new 

 whaling ground not less rich has been discovered. In 1907 the 

 whalers who operated in the Strait of Magellan conceived the idea 

 of pushing forward to the South Shetlands. They soon took up the 

 enterprise and in a few weeks made 374 captures, including 73 right 

 whales. Such success attracted much attention, and the following 

 year four companies sent their steamers to Deception Island, in the 

 archipelago. They captured not less than 2,000 whales, according 

 to Dr. Charcot. In 1910 they obtained only 1,461 whales, chiefly 

 humpbacks. In the meantime the whaling had become very diffi- 

 cult. The whales had, so to speak, completely deserted the waters 

 of Deception Island, where they had previously been so abundant. 



