SOUTH SEA FISHERY. 175 



fish produces about three tons of oil, a small one 

 from one to two. A hundred whales sometimes go 

 to form the cargo of a ship, the produce of which, in 

 boiled sperm oO, may be from one hundred and fifty 

 to two hundred tons, besides head matter. 



The South Sea fishery was not regularly estab- 

 lished as a branch of British trade till towards the 

 close of the last century. The vessels are usually 

 between three and four hundred tons burden ; and 

 the voyage occupies frequently three and even four 

 years ; but when all kinds of whales ai'e attacked, 

 it may be stated as lasting firom twenty months to 

 two years. In the course of the voyage they occa- 

 sionally put into harbours to refit and refresh the 

 crew. The officers and crew are stimulated to 

 exertion by certain shares of the cargo obtained. 

 The captain receives perhaps a twelfth; the har- 

 pooner a fortieth, &c. Several years ago, the com- 

 plete outfit amounted, besides the vessel, to about 

 £.4000, and a cargo of the highest value might 

 yield £.25,000 or £.30,000. The success waa 

 tolerably certain; and the trade has been found 

 upon the whole lucrative. In 1791, seventy-five 

 vessels were engaged ; but the number has not since 

 been so great. In 1830, only thirty-one ships were 

 sent out, of the burden of eleven thousand tons, all 

 from the port of London, carrying nine hundred and 

 tliirty-seven men. The relative values of the pro- 

 ducts of the different fisheries may be seen from the 



