THE WHALE FISHERY. 9 



ing along the edge of the Gulf Stream off Cape Hatteras.* Vessels cruise on the more southern 

 of the above grounds during the winter mouths and early spring, and work north and east as the 

 season advances. Their next resorts, after leaving the Charleston Ground, are in latitude 36 

 north, longitude 74 west; latitude 32 north, longitude 68 west; latitude 28 to 33 north, 

 longitude 48 to 57 west, and from latitude 33 to 45 north, longitude 50 to the east of the 



Azores.t 



Among the favorite resorts in the North Atlantic are the "Two Forties" and "Two Thirty - 

 .sixes," the former being in latitude 40 north, longitude 40 west, and the latter in latitude 36 

 north, longitude 36 west. Vessels cruise here throughout the summer and fall months and often 

 into December. The whales taken are of all sizes. Ships of late years have cruised from lati- 

 tude 43 to 46 north, longitude 25 to 32 west, also from latitude 48 to 50 north, longitude 

 21 to 24 west; and on the "Commodore Morris Grounds,"! in latitude 52 to 54 north, longi- 

 tude 23 to 25 west. Sperm whales are often seen and taken near the Azores. Good cruising 

 places, known as the " Western Grounds," are situated in latitude 28 to 37 north, longitude 40 

 to 52 west. Another resort is the " Steen Ground," in latitude 31 to 36 north, longitude 21 C 

 to 24 west, where vessels cruise from August to November. Sperm whales are sometimes found 

 quite numerous along the southern coast of Portugal and Spain from Cape St. Vincent to the 

 Straits of Gibraltar ; also near the southern side of the island of Tenerifte ; north and west of the 

 Cape Verde Islands during the winter months; from latitude 10 to 14 north, longitude 35 to 

 to 40 west in March. April, and May, and in latitude 5 to 7 north, longitude 18 to 20 west, 

 during the winter season. Good whaling has also been found in the Gulf of Guinea near the 

 Island Fernando Po; also on the " Cornell Ground," in latitude 5 to 9 north, longitude 22 to 

 27 west. 



SOUTH ATLANTIC GROUNDS. On the west side of the South Atlantic, sperm whale grounds 

 were formerly found on and near the Carabellas banks in latitude 17 to 19 south from the coast 

 of Brazil to longitude 35 west ; also iu about latitude 23 south, longitude 39 to 42 west. The 

 smaller class of vessels cruised on these grounds, capturing mostly large bull whales, while large 



*" In 1837," says Captain Atwood, of Provincetowu, "the 'Edward and Rienzi'was bought for blackballing, 

 and went on the ground south of the George's Bank and towards Cape Hatteras. No whaling vessels had ever been 

 there before, and she found sperm whales abundant, and since that time the ' Hatteras Ground' and the ' Charleston 

 Ground ' farther south, have been favorite cruising places for the Provincetown fleet." 



t On the northern edge of the Grand Banks and the Gulf Stream where the Labrador current meets the Stream, 

 making an eddy and a strong current, sperm whales were reported in the months of September, October, and November. 

 The geographical position of this spot, as given by Messrs. Swift & Allen, of New Bedford, is latitude 41 to 48 N., 

 and lougitude 45 to 50 W. Care should be taken to keep a medium temperature of water. J. T. BROWN. 



t This ground was first visited by the American fleet about the year 1859 and was then called the Camilla Ground, 

 after the bark Camilla. It lias been cruised upon by many of the best vessels of the sperm-whale fleet. 



$ Captain Tripp, of the bark Pioneer, makes the following condensed report of a cruise for sperm whales in 1873 

 and 1874 mainly in the North Atlantic. 



On July 12 he found sperm whales in latitude 38 05' N., longitude 67 45' W., and on the 30th killed a large 

 whale in latitude 35 45' N., longitude 45 50' W. August 4 he again saw sperm whales in latitude 35 27' N., longi- 

 tude 45 10' W. On the 27th took a large one in latitude 34 37' N., longitude 39 41', W., and found them on the 31st 

 in latitude 34 37' N. ami longitude 39 41' W. On September 12 he killed two whales in latitude 35 N. and longi- 

 tude 39 50' W. He crossed the equator, but again workod to the northward and finished his cruise. 



On March 29 he killed two whales in latitude 13 58' N., longitude 37 28' W., and another on April 28 in latitude 

 13 -20' N. and longitude 44 25' W. Sperm whales were seen on the lst,2d, 3d, and 4th of May in the latitudes of 13 

 36', 13 34', 13 28', and 13 22', and iu the longitudes of 44 51', 44 34', 44 24', and 44 20', respectively, but no catches 

 were made ; on the 5th he killed four whales in latitude 13 28', longitude 4-1 28'; two on the 8th in latitude 13 18' 

 and longitude 44 49'; three on the 10th in latitude 13 08', longitude 44 25', and four on the 12th in latitude 13 56', 

 and longitude 45 22'. On the 13th sperm whales were scon in latitude 13 08' and longitude 45 14', but none were 

 killed. From that time on he had "greasy luck." On the 19th he killed three whales in latitude 13 06', longitude 

 46 25'. One was killed July 21 iu latitude 34 and longitude 44 12' ; two ou August 1 in latitude 34 45' ; one on the 

 10th in latitude 34 13', longitude 40 17' ; two on the 20th iu latitude 31 26', longitude 50, and one large one on 

 the 25th in latitude 31 and longitude 50. He cruised in this locality fourteen months and obtained 1,100 barrels of 

 sperm oil. J. T. BROWN. 



