36 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



" The trade in oil from Long Island early gravitated to Boston and Connecticut, and this was 

 always a source of much uneasiness to the authorities at New York. The people inhabiting East- 

 hauipton, Southampton, and vicinity, settling under a patent with different guarantees from those 

 allowed under the Duke of York, had little in sympathy with that governmeut, and always turned 

 toward Connecticut as their natural ally and Massachusetts as their foster mother. Scarcely had 

 what they looked upon as the tyrannies of the New York governors reduced them to a sort of sub- 

 jection when they were assailed by a fresh enemy. A sudden turn of the wheel of fortune brought 

 them, in 1673, a second time under the control of the Dutch. During this interregnum, which lasted 

 from July, 1673, to November, 1674, they were summoned, by their then conquerors, to send dele- 

 gates to an assembly to be convened by the temporary rulers. In reply the inhabitants of 

 Easthamptou, Southampton, Soul hold, Seatoocook, and Huntington returned a memorial setting 

 forth that up to 1664 they had lived quietly and prosperously under the government of Connec- 

 ticut. Now, however, the Dutch had by force assumed control, and, understanding them to be 

 well disposed, the people of those parts proffer a series of ten requests. The ninth is the par. 

 ticular one of interest in this connection, and is the only one not granted. In it they ask, ' That 

 there be ffree liberty granted ye 5 townes aforesd for ye procuring from any of ye united Collonies 

 (without molestation on either side:) warpes, irons, or any other necessaries ffor ye comfortable 

 earring on the whale design.' To this reply is made that it 'cannot in this conjunction of time be 

 allowed.' ' Why,' says Howell,* " the Council of Governor Colve chose thus to snub the English 

 iu these five towns in the matter of providing a few whale-irons and necessary tackle for capturing 

 the whales that happened along the coast, is inconceivable;" but it must be remembered that the 

 English and Dutch had long been rivals in this pursuit, even carrying their rivalry to the extreme 

 of personal conflicts. The Dutch assumed to be, and practically were, the factors of Europe in 

 this business at this period, and would naturally be slow to encourage any proficiency in whaling 

 by a people upon whom they probably realized that their lease of authority would be brief, 

 Hence, although they were willing to grant them every other right in common with those of their 

 own nationality, maritime jealousy made this one request impracticable. How the people of Long 

 Island enjoyed this state of affairs is easy to infer from their petition of 1672. The oppressions 

 alike of New York governors and Dutch conquerors could not fail to increase the-alienation that 

 difference of habits, associations, interests, and rights had implanted within them. Among other 

 arbitrary laws was one compelling them to carry all the oil they desired to export to New York to be 

 cleared, a measure which produced so much dissatisfaction and inconvenience that it was beyond 

 a doubt "more honored in the breach than in tiie observance." At times some captain, more 

 scrupulous than the rest, would obey the letter of the law or procure a remission of it. Thus, in 

 April, 1678, Benjamin Alford, of Boston, in New England, merchant, petitioned Governor Brock- 

 holds for permission to clear with a considerable quantity of oil that he had bought at Southampton 

 directly from that port t'> London, he paying all duties required by law. This he desires to do in 

 order to avoid the hazard of the voyage to New York and the extra danger of leakage thereby 

 incurred. He was accordingly allowed to clear as he desired, t 



" Hist, of Southampton, p. 62. 



t N. Y. Col. MSS., xxvii, pp. 65, 66. Accompanying the order is a blank clearance reading as follows : " Permitt 



& suffer the good of A. B. Commander, bound for the Port of London in Old England to passe from the 



Harbo r at the North-Sea near South' " at the East End of Long Isl. with her loading of Whale Oyl & Whalebone 

 without any manner of Lett Hindrance or Molestacon, shee having beene cleared by order from the Custom house hero 

 & given security accordingly. Given under my band in N. Y. this 20th day of April in the 30th yeare of his Ma tlel 

 raigne A Domini 1678. 



" To all his Ma*" Offic" 1 whom this may Coucerne." 



