Whaling as a Business Enterprise 327 



Adeline Gibbs, of New Bedford, brought home 

 132 pounds that sold for more than $23,000. In 

 1836 the bark Wade, Captain Charles B. Ray, of 

 Dartmouth, Massachusetts, secured 50 barrels of am- 

 bergris, according to Starbuck. Between 1836 and 

 1880 the American whalers saved 1667! pounds. 



To show how a lucky voyage paid the owners 

 and crew of a whaler, the record of the Charles 

 Phelps, of Stonington, Connecticut, may be given. 

 The Pbelps sailed on August 29, 1842, and re- 

 turned March 30, 1844. The following figures 

 are from a history of the ship written by James H. 

 Weeks, of Stonington, and printed in the Westerly, 

 Rhode Island, Sun, in 1900: 



"In all thirty-four whales have been captured and 

 thirty-three were taken by the various boats as follows: 



"Larboard boat, 16; waist boat, 7; starboard boat, 

 7, bow boat, 3; found dead, I. 



"Of this number five were sperm and the remainder 

 (29) right whales. The boats were fast to six others, 

 but the lines parted and they were lost. From twelve 

 the irons drawed, and ten after being killed sunk and 

 were not recovered. The number of irons lost during 

 the voyage was thirty-four. Captain Palmer Hall made 

 his report and manifest at the Stonington custom house 



