HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN WHALE FISHERY. 171 



1746. 



A whaliug-vessel, presumably from Martha's Vineyard, was taken 

 by a French man of- war near Newfoundland,* and a sloop from Nan- 

 tucket was taken by a French privateer, released and subsequently cap- 

 tured by a Spanish privateer and i)ut in charge of a prize crew, who 

 being unable to navigate her, turned her over to the prisoners and by 

 them she was carried into Philadelphia. 



1747. 



Among the whaling-fleet of this year there sailed a schooner from 

 Boston, , Mayo master, and a sloop from Nantucket, Peter Bun- 

 ker master. These two vessels were captured by a Spanish privateer off 

 the Capes of Virginia. The sloop was ransomed for $800 and a brother 

 of the captain was detained by the Spaniard as security. 



174§. 



Sixty vessels, of from 50 to 75 tons burden each, sailed from Nan- 

 tucket, returning with 11,250 barrels of oil, valued at £14 per ton, 



£19,684. 



1750. 



In August Captain Atkins entered at Boston from Davis's Straits. 



1751. 



Sloop Experiment made a whaling voyage from Williamsburg, Va., 

 along the coast, returning early in May with a valuable whale. 



1752. 



A vessel of 75 tons burden, owned by John Newman and Timothy 

 Coffin, of Martha's Vineyard, made a whaling voyage; also one of 55 tons 

 owned by John Norton, esq., and others of the same place, u'ade an- 

 other. 



1753. 



The two vessels which sailed from Martha's Vineyard last year sailed 



again this. The former, which was commanded by Cufiln himself, was 



captured off the Grand Banks by a French vessel and Coffin was killed. 



The latter, under the command of Christopher Beetle, was lost on the 



coast of Carolina. 



1754. 



Two whalemen off the Capes of Virginia were struck by lightning^ 

 and two men killed on board one of them. 



1755. 



Three sloops from Nantucket, commanded respectively by John 

 Starbuck, Jonathan Coffin, and Peter Bunker, were lost while whaling. 



* The Boston News-Letter of February 26, 1746, says : Two men arrived at Martinico 

 who were whaling near Newfoundland, and were taken by a French man-of-war and 

 carried to Chebueta, thence sent to Canada. 



