U. S. Consul McDougaWs lieport on. Oils and Jute at Dundee. 62 1 



tons oil and 45 tons of bono. The selling- price of whale-oil in 1S7G was £35 

 per ton; and altliongli as high as £1,200 per ton was got for bone, £800 

 was the average price. The 824 tons of oil i)rodiiced £28,840 and the 45 tons of 

 bone £30,000; total for the whale-fishing, £04,840; total for the seal-fishing, 

 £37,332 10s.; total for both fishings, £102,172 lO.v. Of course from this sum falls 

 to be deducted the expenses of the fleet, which must necessarily be very heavy. 



In 1875 the value of the seal-fishing was computed at £27,026 7s. GJ. and the 

 whale-fishing at £50,325; total for both fishings, £77,351 7s. M. This shows an 

 increase in favor of 1870 in the seal-fishing of £10,306 8s. 6^7. and in the whale- 

 fishing of £14,515 ; total increase in both fishings for 187(), £24,821 8s. 6f?." 



"This year two vessels went to the seal-fishing in Labrador compared with 

 one in 1876 ; and they were so successful, that the Dundee Seal and Whale Fishing 

 Company have resolved to form a branch establishment at Newfoundland, and 

 next spring two of their largest and most powerful screw -steamers, instead of 

 going to Greenland, will be dispatched to the Newfoundland seal-fishing. The 

 company has acquired a piece of ground, on which they are erecting the neces- 

 sary buildings for carrying on the work connected with the fishing, including 

 boiling-house, &c. There being no docks for the accommodation of the vessels, 

 the company is constructing a wharf in close proximity to its premises, so that 

 the steamers will be enabled to discharge their catches almost at the doors of the 

 establishment. With the two steamers sent out by another company here (those 

 which went this year) this will now make four Dundee vessels that will prosecute 

 the Newfoundland seal- fishing next spring. The effect of this change will of 

 course be to give the remainder of the Dundee vessels going to Greenland a bet- 

 ter chance of success, and it is hoped the results will prove satisfactory to all 

 concerned. 



" As all the vessels of the Dundee whale fleet have now arrived from the New- 

 foundland and Greenland seal and whale fisheries for the year, I am able to give 

 you the number of seals and whales caught and other particulars. The whole of the 

 vessels (now thirteen in number) went both to the seal and whale fishing this year, 

 two going to Newfoundland instead of to Greenland with the other ships. The 

 number of seals caught in Newfoundland (Labrador) this year was for two vessels 

 46,600 seals, yielding 750 tons oil ; last year one, vessel, 4,000 seals, yielding 47 

 tons oil ; increase in 1877, 42,600 seals, 703 tons oil. 



"The number of seals caught in Greenland this year was for eleven vessels, 

 29,400 seals, yielding 342 tons oil ; last year, for eleven vessels, 53,776 seals, yield- 

 ing 578 tons oil ; decrease in 1877, 24,376 seals, 236 tons oil. 



