The Minor Colonial Ports 77 



He was a ship carpenter, as well as a farmer 

 and fisherman, and with his two sons, Joseph 

 and John, got afloat a number of vessels that 

 were sent whaling offshore. The blubber was 

 brought back to the Russells, who built try-works 

 on the Acushnet River. The business prosper- 

 ing, works for refining sperm oil were erected, and 

 then (1765) Captain Joseph Rotch, a Nantucket 

 whaler with capital as well as experience, joined 

 the Russells on the Acushnet, bringing with him 

 several whaling vessels. 



Rotch's reason for joining the Russells rather 

 than locating on the more populous Apponegan- 

 sett River may be noted here for future reference. 

 The harbor was "deeper, broader, and safer." 

 Rotch had reason for paying especial attention 

 to the character of the harbor. 



The glimpses which one may get in the records 

 of the early whaling from Buzzard's Bay are all 

 of interest. For instance, a part of the log of the 

 whaling sloop Betsy, of Dartmouth (the name of 

 the village on the Apponegansett), is preserved 

 in Ricketson's History of New Bedford. 



"Aug. 2d, 1761, saw two sperm whales; killed 



