HISTORY OF NORTH-WEST WHALING. 83 



The following year several more of the Chilian 

 fleet started to the northward, "between seasons," 

 and, looking further to the north and westward, 

 found better weather, and made a good cruise. 

 During the three years following few ships were 

 found there ; but, upon the almost entire failure 

 of the southern whale fishery, the right whale- 

 men were forced to turn their prows to those in- 

 hospitable seas, and the north-west became a 

 very El Dorado to the intrepid American 

 whalers. This cruising ground extends properly 

 from the thirty-fourth to the fifty-ninth degree of 

 north latitude, and from the coast of America, 

 in west longitude say one hundred and thirty, to 

 the meridian of one hundred and seventy < 

 longitude, or about sixty degrees. The largest 

 whales are said to have been found between fifty 

 and sixty degrees north latitude, and from one 

 hundred and forty-five to one hundred and 

 eighty degrees west longitude. At the I 

 I slands, in latitude fifty-two degrees north, sperm 

 \\lialesof the largest size have been found, 

 uell as ri^ht whales ; and near the peuinsul;. 

 Al;i>ka tlu-y are very \\\\ 



