The Minor Colonial Ports 79 



more graphic tale is found in the Boston News 

 Letter of August 18, 1766: "Capt. Clark on 

 Thursday Morning last discovering a Spermaceti 

 Whale near George's Bank, manned his boat 

 and gave chase to her, & she coming up with 

 her jaws against the Bow of the Boat struck it 

 with such Violence that it threw a son of the 

 Captain, (who was forward ready with his Lance), 

 a considerable Height from the Boat, and when he 

 fell the Whale turned with her devouring Jaws 

 opened, and caught him. He was heard to scream 

 when she closed her Jaws, and part of his Body 

 was seen out of her Mouth when she turned and 

 went off." 



It appears that while the Nantucket whalers 

 were cruising far to the south, the Buzzard's 

 Bay men had a particular liking for the northern 

 waters. The whaling vessels bound for the north- 

 ern grounds were commonly fitted out for cod- 

 fishing as well as whaling, a division of interests 

 that was profitable enough, but one that accounts 

 for the superior growth of the Nantucket whaling 

 interests. Having the cod-fish as a resource in 

 case of failure in whaling, the ships with two out- 



