208 ALLEN: NEW ENGLAND WHALEBONE WHALES. 



of a whale, "about 60 feet in length," that came into the New Haven harbor at that time. 

 Three boats put out in pursuit, and one "had approached in position to harpoon him, when a 



gun from one of the other boats caused the animal to sheer Passing by the wharf, he struck 



aground near the shore, where he was attacked and killed" (Nantucket Inquirer, May 10, 

 1834). From its length (60 feet), it is probable that this may have been a Finback. 



The Gloucester Telegram for 1834, recounts that a "whale more than sixty feet in length, 

 of the fin-back species, was towed into our harbor. . . .by a fishing vessel" about the 25th of 

 June. The item adds, "it had apparently been dead for some time." 



Shortly after, about the 5th of July, a "large whale," probably also a Finback, "entered 

 Gloucester Harbor and proceeded up as far as Five Pound Island. He was attacked by a 

 number of men in a small boat, who fastened to him with a harpoon. The whale towed them 

 with great velocity to the mouth of the harbor, when not having a proper instrument where- 

 with to despatch him, they were obliged to cut" (Nantucket Inquirer, July 9, 1834). 



1836. According to the Newburyport Herald, "a large Finback Whale" was captured 

 at the mouth of Portsmouth Harbor about the 20th of May. Two boats manned by eleven 

 men chased it for five hours. A Nantucket whaleman, Charles H. Gardner, threw two harpoons 

 into it and after an hour's struggle it succumbed. It is not unlikely that this was a Humpback 

 Whale, for its length is given as but 35 feet notwithstanding it was said to be "large." 



1842. The Nantucket Inquirer of July 9, 1842 (vol. 3, no. 28) records the finding of a dead 

 Finback, about 55 feet long, near Plymouth, June 25th. It was towed to Provincetown where 

 its blubber was removed. A few days afterward a second dead Finback was picked up by a 

 Cohasset fishing schooner. Both whales had the lower jaw badly broken, due as some thought, 

 to a fight between the two. 



1846. About the 10th of December "two large Finbacks were seen playing side by side 

 in Provincetown harbor." One of these was killed and reported to be over fifty feet long 

 (Nantucket Inquirer, vol. 26, no. 142, Dec. 14, 1846). 



1854. The Nantucket Inquirer of July 7, 1854 (vol. 34, no. 80) records the capture of 

 a "large Finback Whale" a short distance outside Nantucket Harbor, on July 6th. 



1866. A Finback Whale was seen off Provincetown on November 17th and although 

 struck by a harpoon from a boat, it managed to clear itself and escape. Several others had 

 been seen in Provincetown Harbor within a few days previously (Nantucket Inquirer, vol. 

 35, no. 137, Nov. 21, 1855). 



1856. About May 25th, a Finback Whale was reported by Capt. Luther Bowman, Jr., 

 of Mattapoisett. It came within an oar's length of his boat off Bird Island, Mass, and "ap- 



* 



peared of a size to yield 25 or 30 bbls. of oil" (Nantucket Inquirer, vol. 36, no. 90, May 26, 

 1856). 



About November 20th, a "dispatch by the Cape Cod Marine Line says that a large school 



