Whaling as a Business Enterprise 325 



Bedford ship William Hamilton, Captain William 

 Swain, brought home 4060 barrels of sperm oil, 

 the record of all sperm voyages. She had sent 

 home, meantime, 121 barrels, so that her total catch 

 amounted to 4181 barrels, then worth $109,269. 



The largest single cargo of whale oil ever 

 brought to port was 5300 barrels in the South 

 America, Captain R. N. Sowle, of Providence, 

 Rhode Island. She also brought 200 barrels of 

 sperm oil and 50,000 pounds of bone. She was 

 away from home only 26 months. In 1851 the 

 George Washington, Captain Edwards, sailed from 

 New Bedford, and in the course of her voyage 

 took 7000 barrels of whale oil, 75 of sperm, and 

 50,420 pounds of bone. She sent home a large 

 part of the catch by freighters. 



While the Envoy made, as told, the record per 

 cent profit on the original investment, the people 

 of New London claim the honor of bringing in 

 the cargo that sold for the highest price and gave 

 the largest profit above the cost of the outfit. 

 The Pioneer, Captain Ebenezer Morgan, sailed 

 from that port on June 4, 1864, and returned on 

 September 18, 1865, with 1391 barrels of oil and 



