ADDRESS. 



45 



able fleet ; and terrible must be the struggle, and crimsoned the 

 ocean with blood, before a hostile keel could pass this floating, 

 breathing rampart of iron muscles and stout hearts, and gain 

 possession of our shores ! 



No enlightened statesman, therefore, can regard with indiffer- 

 ence, or as local in its character, a branch of industry which adds 

 so much to the wealth of the nation, calls into existence, and gives 

 employment to so many effective seamen. No true patriot, who 

 has a mind to encompass the great objects of government, can 

 withhold whatever of aid and protection the peculiar exigencies 

 this important interest may require. 



But let us descend from this high and patriotic view, and see 

 what kind of plea can be made solely on the score of interest. 

 From data entitled to full belief, it has been ascertained that every 

 time our immense whale fleet puts to sea, there is required for 

 victualling and outfit : flour, eighty thousand and forty barrels ; 

 pork and beef, seventy-nine thousand one hundred and twenty 

 barrels ; molasses, six hundred and twenty-one thousand gallons ; 

 coffee, five hundred and fifty-two thousand six hundred pounds ; 

 sugar, two hundred and fifty-six thousand eight hundred pounds ; 

 tea, one hundred and seventy-two thousand five hundred pounds ; 

 rice, one thousand three hundred tierces ; duck, forty-six thousand 

 four hundred and sixty pieces ; cordage, eight thousand nine hun- 

 dred and sixty tons ; iron hoops, four thousand six hundred tons ; 

 copper, five hundred and fifty-two thousand sheets ; (vessels cop- 

 pered every voyage ;) staves, ten million ; whaling gear, consisting 

 of harpoons, spades, cabooses, &c., one thousand dollars to each 

 vessel, four hundred and sixty thousand dollars. 



Flour barrels 80,040 



Pork and beef . . .barrels 79,120 



Molasses gallons 621,000 



Coffee pounds 552,600 



Sugar pounds 256,800 



Tea pounds 172,500 



Rice tierces 1,300 



Duck (sail cloth) . . pieces 46,460 



Cordage tons 8,960 



Iron hoops .... tons 4,600 



Copper sheets 552,000 



Staves 10000,000 



Whaling gear, harpoons, &c., 



value in dollars .... 460,000 



