HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN WHALE FISHERY. 21 



Whether this was the first adventure of this kind or not we have no 

 means of ascertaining, and we are in a similar state of uncertainty in 

 regard to its success. As the fishery became more important, and ves- 

 sels were used, it became necessary to select the site where there was 

 the best harbor, and the location where the town of Nantucket now 

 stands was selected.* As the number of vessels increased it was also 

 found necessary to replace the old landing-places, which at best were 

 only temporary, and often destroyed by winter storms, with more sub- 

 tantial wharves, and accordingly, in 1723, the "Straight" wharf was 

 built.t At this time the usual custom in winter was to haul the vessels 

 and boats up on shore, as being safer and less expensive than lying at 

 the wharf. The boats were placed bottom upwards and lashed together 

 to prevent accidents in gales of wind, and the whaling "craft" was 

 carefully stored in the warehouses. In the early days of whaling each 

 vessel carried two boats, one of which seems to have been held in re- 

 serve in case of accident to the one lowered for whales. 



In 1730 Nantucket employed in the fishery twenty-five vessels of from 



traine oyle, being on tho proper account & risque of Nathaniel Starbuck, of Nan- 

 tucket, and goes consigned to Richard Patridge merchant in London. 



[Prin. Paid.] Being marked & numbered as in the margin & to be delivered in like 



good order &, well conditioned at the aforesaid port of London (The 



dangers of the sea only excepted) unto Richard Partridge aforesaid or to his assignees, 



He or they paying Freight for said goods, at the rate of fifty shillings per tonn, with 



primage & average accustomed. 



" In witness whereof the said Master or Purser of said Ship hath afSrmed to Two Bills 

 of Lading all of this Tener and date, one of which two Bills being Accomplished, the 

 other to stand void. 



"And so God send the Good Ship to her desired Port in safety. Amen! 



"Articles &, contents unknown to — 



"(Signed) WILLIAM CHADDER. 



"Dated at Boston the 7th 4th mo. 1720." 



(From original bill of lading in possession of F. C. Sanford, esq.) 



* The place tirst settled was at Maddeket, at the west end of the island. According 

 to the records in the state-house at Boston, the following vessels were registered as be- 

 longing to Nantucket up to the year 1714: April 28,1698, Richard Gardner, trader, 

 registers sloop Mary, 25 tons, built in Boston, 1694; August 11, James CofHn, trader, 

 registers sloop Dolphin, 25 tons, built in Boston, 1697 ; September 1, Richard Gardner, 

 mariner, registers sloop Society, 15 tons, built in Salem, 1695; April 4, 1710, Peter 

 Coffin, registers sloop Hope, 40 tons, built in Boston, 1709; April 24, 1711, Silvanus 

 Hussey, sloop Eagle, 30 tons, built at Scituate, 1711; July 30, 1713, Silvanus Hussey, 

 sloop Bristol, 14 tons, built at Tiverton, 1711; April 27, 1713, Abigail Howse, sloop 

 Thomas, 12 tons, built at Newport, R. I., 1713; May 4, 1714, Ebenezer Cof3Sn, sloop 

 Nonsuch, 25 tons, built at Boston, 1714. (The Nonsuch is registered as of Boston; 

 Cofifiu, however, was of Nantucket); 1714, Geo. Coffin, sloop Speedwell, 25 tons, 

 built at Charlestown. This, then, was the character of their vessels up to 1715 ; among 

 them the Hope, of 40 tons, was a very giant. 



In 1732, however, the size had very greatly increased, for by a petition (Mass. Col. 

 MSS. Maritime, v, p. 510), it appears that Isaac Myrick built at. Nantucket a snow of 

 118 tons. 



tMacy's Hist., p. 37. According to the Boston News Letter, European advices of 

 August 3, 1724, reported that the Emperor of Russia had ordered the directors of the 

 India Company " newly erected there" to get twelve vessels ready against tho opening 



