A Long Period of Depression 113 



forces of nature. The arms of the crescent, in 

 which the island took form, provided a very good 

 shelter from sea and wind, once a ship had arrived 

 within the embrace. But across the mouth of 

 the harbor lay a bar upon which the water was 

 never more than ten feet deep. When the Nan- 

 tucket people began deep-water whaling with 

 3O-ton sloops, the harbor was excellent for their 

 purpose. When the ships had reached a size of 

 100 tons and more, however, trouble began. In 

 pleasant weather lighters were sent off to receive 

 so much of the cargo as was necessary to lighten 

 the ship to a point where she could enter. In 

 foul weather the ships went to Martha's Vineyard 

 and to mainland ports to shift cargoes. 



By their ingenuity the Nantucket whalers kept 

 afloat, but the lightering was expensive. More- 

 over, there were dangers to be considered in con- 

 nection with such work. Accordingly, in 1803, 

 when many of the Nantucket ships were so large 

 that they could scarcely cross the bar, though 

 in ballast only, the people of the island made an 

 appeal for help to the national government. The 

 document can be found in Volume X, American 



