82 The Story of the New England Whalers 



and hunting for and plundering, taking away 

 or murdering the poor Indian Natives of the 

 country." Because of "these Barbarities, and 

 other Notorious Crimes and Enormities" the 

 cruisers were "to apprehend all such offenders" 

 and to "bring them to me to be tried for the 

 same." 



As the Governor was at once prosecutor, judge, 

 and jury, many of the colonial whalers were 

 driven from the coast to deep-water fishing. 

 It was an event that was not without influence 

 upon the Revolution that was then at hand. 



Nevertheless, further petitions brought a real 

 modification of the rule, and in 1768 eighty 

 whalers from Nantucket, and as many from the 

 other ports, went to the northern grounds. This 

 proved a notable year for natural disasters. Ten 

 of the Nantucket ships were lost and the fleet 

 from other ports suffered as badly. Captain 

 Hamilton, who, during this year, was in the 

 Merlin sloop-of-war, saved two Nantucket crews. 

 The catch of the survivors ran from 100 to 200 

 barrels of oil. 



To complete the record of the whalers in the 



