318 Bulletin American Museum <>/ Natural History. [Vol. XXI V, 



any time amounted to 20 Sterling p 1 annum, that fish having in a manner 

 left this coast." 1 Later, however, acts were passed to encourage whale-fish- 

 ing. 2 



Thompson, in his 'History of Long Island' (edition of 1839, p. 221) says, 

 in writing of Southampton: "The whaling business upon this part of the 

 island has existed, in some form or other, for a great length of time, and may 

 be said to be almost coeval with the settlement of the country by the white 

 people. Both individuals and companies at an early period were engaged 

 in the pursuit of whales along the south shore, in boats built expressly for 

 the purpose, and kept ready at convenient stations upon the beach. In the 

 year 1760, three sloops, owned by Joseph Conckling, John Foster, and a few 

 others, called the Goodluck, Dolphin, and Success, cruised for whales in lati- 

 tude 36 north. Whales at that period were more abundant along-shore 

 than at present, although some are yet taken by boats at East and Southamp- 

 ton almost every year. The whales when secured were drawn upon the 

 shore, cut in pieces, and conveyed a distance to be boiled out. This process 

 was so offensive, that the town meeting of Easthampton, in 1690, prohibited 

 the practice within a certain distance of any habitation." In the second 

 edition of the work, published in 1843, the author adds: "In the Long Island 

 Herald, published here, of the date of April 12, 1792, it is stated, that twelve 

 stout whales were killed during the spring off the southside of the island." 3 



The Province of West New Jersey passed 'An Act relating to Fishing,' 

 in October, 1693. The act relates wholly to the capture of whales in Dela- 

 ware Bay, and implies that the whale fishing of Delaware Bay was of con- 

 siderable importance, the act beginning as follows: "Whereas the Whalery 

 in Delaware Bay has been in so great a Measure invaded by Strangers and 

 Foreigners, that the greatest Part of Oyl and Bone, recovered and got by 

 that imploy hath been Exported out of the Province, to the great detriment 

 thereof; to obviate which mischief, BE IT ENACTED. . . .that all Persons not 

 residing within the Precincts of this Province, or the Province of Pennsyl- 

 vania, who shall kill or bring on shore any Whale, or Whales within Delaware 

 Bay, or elsewhere within the Boundaries of this Government, shall pay one 

 full and entire Tenth of all the Oyl and Bone made out of the said Whale, 

 or Whales, unto the present Governor of this Province for the Time being." 4 



Ricketson says, in his 'History of New Bedford' (p. 56), published in 

 1858: "The attention of the early settlers of New England was early called 



to the whale-fishery As early as 1690 they had reached the banks of New 



Foundland in their pursuit of whales. But the voyages of the early whale- 



1 Doc. relative to Col. Hist. New York, Vol. V, p. 510. 



2 Ibid., Vol. V, pp. 583, 782, Vol. VI, p. 160. 



3 Hist, of Long Island, 2d ed., Vol. I, p. 349. 



4 Learning and Spicer's Grants Concessions, and Original Constitution of the Province of 

 New Jersey, etc. (no date), pp. 519, 520. 



