n6 The Story of the New England Whalers 



A committee of Congress considered this appeal ; 

 it also listened to the politicians ("good fellows," 

 every one, beyond a doubt), who held the offices 

 of collector of customs at the ports involved, and 

 then declared that "it would seem to be fair and 

 reasonable that the collectors of customs should 

 receive their regular fees in transacting all their 

 official business"; because, forsooth, "the fishery 

 is profitable to those who carry it on," and the 

 payment of double fees "cannot operate, in any 

 essential degree, as a discouragement." 



In 1806 thirteen whale ships cleared from 

 Nantucket and eight cleared from New Bedford, 

 the port next to Nantucket in the extent of its 

 whaling business. In 1818 Nantucket sent eigh- 

 teen whale ships to sea; New Bedford, twenty- 

 five. In 1846 (called the "boom year" of whal- 

 ing) sixteen whalers cleared from Nantucket and 

 sixty-nine from New Bedford. 



In 1839 the whalemen of Nantucket made a 

 supreme effort to overcome the disadvantages of 

 a shoal bar at the harbor entrance by building a 

 steam "camel." This camel was a floating dock 

 that was able to travel in and out of the harbor 



