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PACIFIC COAST FISHERIES. 203 
time. During 1891 the price varied from $4 to $5 a pound for Arctic 
bone; in April, 1891, it had advanced to $6.50,and in October had 
dropped to $5, closing in December at $5.75. The opening price in 
1892 was $5.62, with sales up to $6; as the season wore on it declined 
to $5, and later in the year to $4. During the early fall, news of the 
success or failure of the Arctic fishery is anxiously looked for, and the 
market is governed by the same. The prices given are eastern quota- 
tions, and do not make much difference to the seamen engaged in the 
taking of the whales; although they ship on a lay, or share, the price 
of whalebone and oil is usually agreed on in advance. 
The extent of the whaling business carried on by vessels owned at 
San Francisco is shown in condensed form in the following table: 
Summary of the San Francisco whale fleet and its operations, 1890 to 1892. 
WeaniG Vessels. 
umber 
sat —| Advances 
Years. of fisher- Num-/} Net ton- ivalne Value of to crews. 
wen: ber. nage. nae outfit. 
OM == CS RBG ES ae eee Seeger 1, 090 32 8, 174. 61 $572, 000 $276, 297 $112, 135 
OS 5 tS a Se ere 1, 059 31 7, 626. 10 570, 000 263, 756 108, 628 
BSC r ee eae fare clam aia aiainiwiqeie'e a's 1, 240 36 8, 983. 16 648, 500 302, 060 126, 026 
Whalebone. Sperm oil. | Whale oil. Total 
Years. SS S| te value of 
Pounds. | Value. | Gallons. | Value. | Gallons. | Value. catch. 
ey 2 4, | 
USO Doge See Cees 168, 303 | $710,239 6,121 | $3,979 | 286,901 | $120,498 | $834,716 
eee i iscsi hoc astaaciaie en' = 218, 781 | 1,177, 042 3, 472 2,396 | - 226, 866 106, 627 | 1, 286, 065 
PRGUMEAEL arb ee ies: BO ET AC) 192, 950 | 1,032,282] 12,804! 8,579 | 192,895] 81,016 | 1,121,877 
There is no fishery in the United States in which a more heterogene- 
ous personnel is found than in the Pacific whale fishery. Nearly every 
State and every nation is represented, as will appear from the follow- 
ing tables based on the official shipping lists : 
Table showing the nativity and nationality of the persons employed on the San Francisco 
whaling fleet in 1892. 
| T . | . 
Countries. Nativity.| Ba | Countries. Nativity. nee 
Wnited States....2--.-.-.---- 438 639 || New Zealand...........-.-.-. Sy Wee aateeeete 
2b ee 6 De NOMEN SCO tia oases. ern ne ce 3 VEG bcme ens etec 
ACS TUE As ei I ae aoee. NOD Wayse conse seesaw soos 50 38 
“SES eo eee 5 5 || Portugal ...-- qoswericioneaseod 110 79 
Lone Se ee ee 3 S| LEG STEMS OR eae ee es aaa seeie 19 16 
21g Ti aS Bees ae ee 13) |aseges cate South America.............. 14 8 
1 COE ye ee 27 PAI Syaknlit Saoueqereadaeaaaneaeene 58 55 
Mast Indies ....--...--------: Z| aes ta Scotland’ 24-0 encom ea ene 85) lesicewnteiae 
(ETL G Bis. A 115 181 || Sandwich Islands .-...-..-.. 31 28 
BEML Geiss cece cee ce =e 22 ASUS wahzerlandecssssssece ere coe 6 4 
PPMNAU ANN So 5-2 = oo animes = ss 108 W60\| Swedenl.2-c2-csec.caea-isc 2) 69 49 
EMP E 50,5 ois ac/siw sis = oe =~ 11 Dalat Helena 98S. 25e- cena al Rae ee 
LGN) SCORES eee tt| BABB eee United States of Colombia.. 2 2 
Eee ae Bou lesees stieoe Wiestiindies®:+o0-s5:-5-22252 1B ime = ae 
POE iileem a0) 2.220. ae 8 8 —_— —_— 
a0 a ae 4 4 Cotaltnasscasecsseees- 1, 240 1, 240 
New Brunswick -...........- 7A els 26 
* The nationality of the fishermen of the various British provinces is shown in the aggregate under 
the general head of England. 
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