THE WHALEBONE WHALES OF THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC, UD 
“Agreement made the 4‘" of January, 1669, between ye whale companies of 
East and Southampton. If any companie shall finde a dead whale uppon the 
shore, killed by ye other, a person shall bee immediately sent to give notice; and 
the person bringing the news to bee well rewarded. And if one companie shall 
finde any whale ¢ so “killed at sea, they shall endeavor to secure them, and have one 
half for their pains, and any irons found in them to bee returned to ye owners.’ 
In the second edition of this work, published in 1843,” is the following: 
“ As an evidence of the extent to which boat-whaling was carried, on this part 
of Long Island [ Brookhaven], at the beginning of the eighteenth century, we 
present the following items from a mi: muscript in the handwriting of Madam 
Martha, widow of Goll W™ Smith of St. George’s Manor : 
“« Jan. y® 16,1707 (she says) my company killed a yearling whale, made 27 
barrels. ee if oF Indian Harry, with his boat, struck a stunt whale nnd could 
not kill rescaled for my boat to help him, I had but a third, which was 4 
barrels. Feb. 22, my two boats, and my son’s, and Floyd’s boats, lailed a yearling 
whale, of which I had half—made 36, my share 18 barrels. Feb. ‘ 24, my company 
killed a school whale, which made 35 bartels, Mareh 13, my company killed a 
small yearling, made 30 barrels. March 17, my company killed two yearlings in 
one day; one made 27, the other 14 barrels.’ 
“The following is the receipt for duties: ‘New York, this 5" June, 1707, 
then received of Nathan Simson, y* sume of fifteen pounds, fifteen shillings, for 
acct of mad* Martha Smith, it being 7¢ 20" part of her eyle, by virtue of a war- 
rant from my Ld. Cornbury, dated 25" of March, last past, 1707. Per me, Elias 
Boudinot.’ ” 
Hubbard’s General History of New England contains the following: 
“The next place, on that called Long Island, is East Hampton, at the furthest 
end eastward; then South Hampton; next, Southhold, where the inhabitants of 
late [1635-1650 ?] have fallen upon the killing of whales, that frequent the south 
side of the island in the latter part of the winter, wherein they have a notable kind 
of dexterity; and the trade that ariseth therefrom hath been very beneficial to all 
that end of the island.” ? 
“Upon the south side of Long Island, in the winter, lie store of whales and 
grampuses, which the inhabitants begin [1635— 1650 ?| with small boats to make a 
trade of catching, to their no small benefit. cs 
It is by no means certain that the expression “of late” refers to the period 
1635-1650, the events of which were being chronicled. More probably it refers 
to the date at which the history was written. Shore whaling appears to have been 
begun on Long Island about 1652. 
Weeden’s Economic and Social History of New England, 1890, contains a 
chapter on colonial whale fishery, in which some of the foregoing notices of whales 
and whaling seasons are quoted or referred to, together with many relating to the 
fishery itself. ° 
‘THOMPSON, Benj. F., History of Long Island, New York, tst ed., 1839, p. 191. 
*Vol. 1, p. 438, foot-note. *P. 668. | Be 672% 
* WEEDEN, Wo. B., Economic and Social History of New England, 1620-1789, 2 vols., Boston, 
1890. 
