208 
MARINE MAMMALS OF THE NORTH-WESTERN COAST. 
Macy's History of Nantucket, "the whaling business increased to an extent hitherto 
unparalleled. In 1770 there were a little more than one hundred vessels engaged, 
and in 1775 the number exceeded one hundred and fifty, some of them large 
brigs." The following table briefly exhibits the state of the fishery from 1771 to 
1775 (showing the annual average), which at that period was prosecuted chiefly 
from Massachusetts, although Sag Harbor had three sloops cruising for whales in 
high northern latitudes as early as 1700 :* 
Ports from which the equipments 
■were made. 
Nantucket 
Wellfleet 
Dartmouth 
Lynn 
Martha's Vineyard 
Barnstable 
Boston 
Falmouth, Barnstable Co 
Swanzey 
Total 
Northern 
Fishery, 
vessels. 
Tonnage. 
Southern 
Fishery, 
vessels. 
65 
4,875 
85 
20 
1,600 
10 
60 
4,500 
20 
1 
75 
1 
12 
720 
. . 
2 
150 
15 
1,300 
5 
4 
300 
4 
300 
183 
13,820 
121 
Tonnage. 
10,200 
1,000 
2,000 
120 
700 
14,020 
Seamen 
employed. 
2,025 
420 
1,040 
28 
156 
26 
260 
52 
52 
4,059 
Barrels of 
Sperm Oil 
taken. 
26,000 
2,250 
7,200 
200 
900 
240 
1,800 
400 
400 
39,390 
Barrels of 
Whale Oil 
taken. 
4,000 
2,250 
1,400 
100 
300 
600 
8,650 
The first voyage made across the equinoctial line into the South Atlantic was 
by the brig Amazon, of Nantucket, under the command of Uriah Bunker, who 
returned with a "full ship" April 19th, 1775.f 
whales, according to their peculiar species ; and 
this previous knowledge is of the utmost conse- 
quence. "When these boats are arrived at a 
reasonable distance, one of them rests on its 
oars, and stands off, as a witness of the ap- 
proaching engagement ; near the bows of the 
other the harpooner stands up, and on him 
principally depends the success of the enter- 
prise. He wears a jacket closely buttoned, and 
round his head a handkerchief tightly bound ; 
in his hands he holds the dreadful weapon, 
made of the best steel, marked sometimes with 
the name of their town, and sometimes with 
that of their vessel ; to the shaft of which the 
* Thompson's History of Long Island, vol. i, 
end of a cord of due strength, coiled up with 
the utmost care in the middle of the boat, is 
firmly tied; the other end is fastened to the 
bottom of the boat. Thus prepared, they row 
in profound silence, leaving the whole conduct 
of the enterprise to the harpooner and to the 
steersman, attentively following their directions. 
When the former judges himself to be near 
enough to the whale, that is, at the distance 
of about fifteen feet, he bids them stop ; per- 
haps she has a calf, whose safety attracts all 
the attention of the dam, which is a favorable 
circumstance ; perhaps she is of a dangerous 
species, and it is safest to retire, though their 
p. 349. f Sanford's Letters. 
