THE WHALE FISHEEY. 25 



The Pacific- Arctic fleet is accustomed to winter in San Francisco or at the Sandwich Isl- 

 ands, and upon the opening of spring to proceed at once to the north, there awaiting the open- 

 ing of the ice to go through the Strait. They return to winter quarters in the late fall and trans- 

 ship their catches by rail or vessel to New Bedford. Vessels sailing from New Bedford for the 

 Arctic leave home in the fall, in order to pass Cape Horn during the summer season. These 

 vessels seldom stop on the various grounds in their pathway, but will not refuse a good chance to 

 take a whale wherever they may be. They are frequeiitlx absent from home for several years, 

 making annual cruises north from their refitting station. 



Ships and barks that cruised in the Pacific Ocean in former years made their voyages in from 

 thirty to forty-eight months, or an average of about forty months. At the present time such a 

 vessel shipping products home seldom makes a voyage in less than three years, and sometimes 

 they are gone five years. The usual course of sperm and right whale ships when sailing in the 

 spring or summer is to look the ground over as far as the Western Islands, touch there and get 

 recruits and ship oil, if they have any; then run down and sight the Cape Verde, and sometimes 

 touch there for refreshments and ship men if needed, which is quite often done at the Azores or 

 Western Islands. They then cross the equator in from 24 to 31 west longitude, and, if bound 

 round Cape Horn, run along within a few degrees of the east coast of South America, generally to 

 the west of the Falkland Islands, and, passing through the Straits of Le Maire or to the east of 

 Staten Land, steer for Cape Horn, keeping as near to the cape as possible, to avoid the strong 

 westerly gales and easterly current that is usually found off shore. After getting around the 

 Horn each ship steers for its chosen ground. In coming home they take a more easterly course, 

 after getting into the Atlantic Ocean, than the passage out, so as to strike the southeast trade 

 wind in about longitude 28 or 30 west; then make a direct track for home. 



If bound around the East Cape or Cape of Good Hope, after crossing the equator they keep 

 by the wind in going through the southeast trades, and when in latitude 28 to 30 south, steer 

 to the eastward and double the cape. If bound to New Zealand, they keep in the variable wind 

 to the south of latitude 30 south, and pass around Van Dieman's Land. If bound into the 

 Indian Ocean, after passing the cape they steer for their several grounds. If sailing late in the 

 season, and bound direct for the Pacific or Indian Ocean, ships keep the same course, except that 

 they go more to the south and avoid the Western Islands. 



SUPPLY STATIONS. The principal places in the North Atlantic visited by whaling vessels 

 for supplies or for transshipment of oil are the Barbadoes, Bermuda Islands, Fayal at the Azores, 

 and Port Prn.ui at Cape Verde Islands. In the South Atlantic the most important places are 

 Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, St. Catherine, and Montevideo, on the ease coast of South America, i 

 On the African coast are St. Helena, Ambrozet, and Cape Town. 



In the Indian Ocean, Mauritius, on the Isle de France, is about the only port whence oil is 

 transshipped and about the only place for repairs, though there are other places, as Zanzibar, 

 Seychelle Islands, Singapore, and some of the East India islands, that are visited by the vessels. 

 On the west coast of New Holland, Shark's Bay, Geographe Bay, and King George's Sound ; 

 also, Hobart Town, on Van Dieman's Land, and Sydney, on the east coast of Australia, are supply 

 stations for vessels cruising on adjacent grounds. 



The principal places visited by whalemen in the South Pacific are Monganni and Bay of 

 Islands, on the east coast of New Zealand, Feejee and Navigator's Island, Papeta, on the island of 

 Otaheite, and Nookaheva, one of the Marquesas Islands ; and on the west coast of South America 

 the ports of San Carlos, Talcalmano, Valparaiso, Callao, Payta, and Tnmbez. Only two ports are i 

 much used for transshipping oil; these are Talcahnano, in Chili, and Bay of Islands, in New ' 



