156 The Story of the New England Whalers 



claimed the honor of killing one of these surpris- 

 ing whales before Coville killed his. A French 

 ship named the Asia, commanded by an American, 

 also claimed the honor. Disputes aside, it is 

 certain that many whalemen soon found large 

 profit on these grounds, for the whales were so 

 tame and easily killed that saving them was 

 like slaughtering pigs in the barnyard at home. 

 On October 22, 1847, the little bark Superior 

 (275 tons only) cleared out from Sag Harbor 

 for the far-away Asiatic grounds. On arriving, 

 it occurred to Captain Royce, commanding the 

 bark, that the Arctic Gateway, namely, Bering's 

 Strait, was but a little way off to the north, and 

 that it was invitingly open. Such an invitation 

 was irresistible, and squaring away he entered. 

 At the end of 19 months from the day he sailed, 

 a marvellously short time, considering the dis- 

 tance, the Superior sailed back into Sag Harbor 

 with all flags flying. She was loaded to the hatch 

 combings with oil, and carried bone wherever 

 it could be stowed, 80 barrels of sperm, 2400 

 of whale oil, and 20,000 pounds of bone, the whole 

 worth $33,945-30. 



