A Long Period of Depression 99 



V 



first vessel that displayed the thirteen rebellious stripes 

 of America in any British port." 1 



Another Nantucket ship, the Industry, Captain 

 John Chadwick, arrived a few days after the 

 Bedford. Both ships sold their cargoes to ad- 

 vantage. 



The appearance of these two ships with Ameri- 

 can whale oil thus promptly after the end of 

 hostilities, however, prepared the way for what 

 seemed at the time the death-blow to the Ameri- 

 can whale fishery. 



The British ship owners, who had been extend- 

 ing their fishery by the aid of Yankee whalemen 

 captured during the war, protested against further 

 importations of "rebel" oil, and a duty of iS a 

 ton was immediately laid upon all foreign oil. 

 As the other European nations were also striving 

 to foster their whale fisheries by means of pro- 

 tective duties, the American whalers were thrown 

 back on their own home market. 



1 It is said (Starbuck) that one of the Bedford's sailors was x 

 humpbacked. One day while he was ashore one of the natives 

 overhauled him, and, laying a hand on his back, said, "Hello, 

 Jack, what have you got here ?" "Bunker Hill and be d d 

 to you," replied the Yankee. 



