A Long Period of Depression 105 



The concessions thus secured allowed the Nan- 

 tucket whalers to have "an entire free exercise 

 of their religion"; a tract of land for homes, 

 storehouses, and a dry-dock; the importation of 

 all whaling products and of food supplies free of 

 duty; all bounties and other privileges allowed 

 to native fishermen; an additional premium per 

 ton on the burden of their vessels engaged in the 

 whale fishery; liberty to command their own 

 ships and select their own crews; freedom from 

 military duty in time of war as well as peace. An 

 additional duty was to be laid on all oil that 

 might thereafter be brought from foreign nations. 



According to Jefferson's Report, "Nine families 

 only of thirty-three persons accepted this invi- 

 tation" from France. Rotch was among the 

 number. 



In the meantime the British authorities had been 

 negotiating directly with Nantucket to induce 

 some of the whalers to go to Nova Scotia, and 

 with so much success that a ship was sent to carry 

 away the emigrants. While the ship lay at the 

 wharf, however, a letter was received from La- 

 fayette, asking the people not to move until they 



