WHALEBONE : ITS PRODUCTION AND UTILIZATION. 7 



value at the dock was 70 cents per pound. In 1877, owing to the dis- 

 aster to the Arctic fleet in the preceding year, the price jumped to 

 $3.50 per pound, and the average for the year approximated $2.50. It 

 continued to increase until it reached $6.70 in the summer of 1891, 

 the price during that year averaging $5.38. In the ensuing nine 

 years it ranged from $4 to $2.50. The small yield in the last three 

 years has occasioned very high prices, and in IMarch, 1904, the market 

 for Arctic bone was $6.25 per pound. 



The quantity of Avhalebone secured by vessels of other nations is 

 small. The Scotch whalers operating in the vicinity of Greenland 

 and Baffin Land secure about 15,000 pounds annuall3\ Were it not 

 for the occasional successes of the American vessels in the Arctic, 

 whalebone would be at a j^rohibitive price, and probably more of it 

 would be found in museums than in commercial warehouses. 



The following summary, compiled from various sources, but espe- 

 cially the Wlialemen's Shipping List, shows the quantity and value 

 of whalebone received from the American fleet each j^ear since 1820 : 

 Statement of the Product of Whalebone in the United States during each 



Year since 1820. 



Year. 



1821 

 1822 

 1823 

 1824 

 1825 

 1826 

 1827 

 1828 

 1829 

 1830 

 1831 

 1832 

 1833 

 1834 

 1835 

 1836 

 1837 

 1838 

 1839 

 1840 

 1841 

 1842 

 1843 

 1844 

 1845 

 1846 

 1847 

 1848 

 1849 

 1850 

 1851 

 185-2 

 1853 

 1854 

 1855 

 1858 

 1857 

 1858 

 1859 

 1860 

 1861 

 1862 

 1863 



Year. 



1864 

 1865 

 1866 

 1867 

 1868 

 1869 

 1870 

 1871 

 1872 

 1873 

 1874 

 1875 

 1876 

 1877 

 1878 

 1879 

 1880 

 1881 

 1882 

 1883 

 18S4 

 1.^85 

 18S6 

 1887 

 1888 

 1889 

 1890 

 1891 

 1892 

 1893 

 1894 

 1S95 

 1896 

 1897 

 1898 

 1899 

 1900 

 1901 

 1902 

 1903 

 1904 

 1905 

 1906 



Produc- 

 tion. 



Pounds. 

 760, 450 

 619, 350 

 920, 375 

 1,001,397 

 900, 850 

 603, 603 

 708, 365 

 600, 655 

 193, 793 

 206,396 

 345, 560 

 372, 303 

 1.50, 628 

 160,220 

 207, 259 

 286, 280 

 464, 028 

 368, 322 

 271, 999 

 2.'>1,037 

 426, 968 

 463, 990 

 352, 490 

 58.5,011 

 334, 572 

 253, 113 

 309,710 

 297, 768 

 369, 885 

 411,315 

 278, 800 

 114,960 

 207,850 

 178, 100 

 246, 120 

 320, 100 

 207, 650 



99, 0.50 

 109, 980 



74,8.50 

 123, 300 



79, 900 



96,600 



Average 



value 



per 



pound. 



81.80 

 1.71 

 1.37 

 1.18 

 1.02 

 1.23 

 .85 

 .77 

 1.28 

 1.08 

 1.10 

 1.21 

 1.96 



2. .50 

 2.46 

 2.34 

 2.00 

 1.63 

 1.71 

 2.87 

 3.55 

 2.68 

 2.73 

 3.12 

 2.78 

 3.50 

 4.22 

 5.38 

 5.35 



3. OS 

 2.95 

 2.83 

 3.95 

 3.50 

 3.10 

 2.70 

 2.60 

 2. 65 

 4.20 

 5. 25 

 .5.80 

 4.90 

 4.50 



