196 OUR HERITAGE THE SEA 



whaling-ground, at the entrance to Foveaux Straits, 

 although really the smallest in area of any in the 

 world, has long been known to whalemen as the most 

 prolific in all the ocean. Its only drawback is the 

 frequency and strength of its gales, for this part of 

 New Zealand stretches well down into the stormy 

 Southern Sea, and shares its wild weather. There is, 

 however, a scheme on foot which, I believe, will be a 

 great source of wealth to New Zealand a plan for 

 dealing with those magnificent visitors to the southern 

 shores, and making the best possible use of them. It 

 is, in short, a project for handling sperm whales as they 

 are being handled in Newfoundland by the aid of 

 small specially built steamers, which will sally forth, 

 and, capturing whales, will tow them in to the station, 

 where every last ounce of their huge bodies will be 

 utilized, and the waste that has hitherto attended all 

 sperm-whaling operations be entirely avoided. This 

 will, I feel sure, be a splendid addition to the resources 

 of New Zealand, already great, for it will provide her 

 with what she has hitherto had to import from other 

 countries at great cost the very best of manure for 

 her farms at a low price. And in due time we may 

 expect to see such fisheries extended to the outlying 

 groups lying still farther to the south of New Zealand, 

 the Macquarie, Campbell, and Auckland Islands, which 

 are no less rich in whales than are the southern coasts 

 of New Zealand, and have besides other visitors in 

 the shape of the huge elephant seals. 



With New Zealand I must conclude this hasty 

 sketch of the ocean as a storehouse of food for the 

 nations. It has been of necessity most cursory, as I 

 did not wish to cover again the ground I traversed in 



