THE WHALE FISHERY. 37 



" In 1684 an act for the 'Encouragement of Trade and Navigation' within the province of New 

 York was passed, laying a duty of 10 per cent, on all oil and bone exported from New York to 

 any other port or place except directly to England, Jamaica, Barbadoes, or some other of the 

 Caribbean Islands. 



"In May, 1688, the Duke of York instructs his agent, John Leveu, to inquire into the number 

 of whales killed during the past six years within the province of New York, the produce of oil 

 and bone, ;ind 'about his share.'* To this Leven makes reply that there has been no record kept, 

 and that the oil and bone were shared by the companies killing the fish. To I/even's statement, 

 Andross, who is in England defending his colonial government, asserts that all those whales tha 

 were driven ashore were killed and claimed by the whalers or Indians.t 



''In August, 1688, we find the first record of an intention to obtain sperm oil. Among the 

 records in the State archives at Boston is a petition trom Tiinotheus Vanderuen, commander of 

 the brigautine Happy Return, of New Yorke, to Governor Audross, praying for 'Licence and Per- 

 mission, with one Equipage Consisting in twelve mariners, twelve whalemen and six Diuers 

 from this Port, upon a fishing design about the Bohames Islands, And Cap florida, for sperma 

 Coeti whales and Racks: And so to retnrue for this Port.'J Whether this voyage was ever 

 undertaken or not we have no means of knowing, but the petition is conclusive evidence that 

 there were men in the country familiar even then with some of the haunts of the sperm-whale and 

 with his capture. 



''Francis Nicholson, writing from Fort James, December, 1688, says: 'Our whalers have had 

 pretty good luck, killing about Graves End three large whales. On the Easte End aboute five or 

 six small ones.' During this same year the town of Easthainpton being short of money, debtors 

 were compelled to pay their obligations in produce, and in order to have some system of exchange 

 the trustees of the town 'being Legally met March 6, 1688-9 it was agreed that this year's Towne 



rate should be held to be good pay if it be paid as Follows: 



. a. d. 



Dry merchantable hides att 6 



Indian Corn 3 



Whale Bone 3 feet long and upwards 8.' 



NOTE. It is estimated by George R. Howells, from papers on tile in the office of the secretary of state of New 

 York, that the boat-whalemen of Southampton in 1687 took d,14H barrels of oil. 



' In July, 1708, Lord Cornbury writes again to the board of trade regarding New York 

 aifairs.ll In his letter he says: ' The quantity of Train Oyl made in Long Island is very uncer- 

 tain, some years they have much more fish than others, for example last year they made four 

 thousand Barrils of Oyl, and this last Season they have not made above Six hundred: About 

 the middle of October they begin to look out for fish, the Season lasts all November, December, 

 January, February, and part of March ; a Yearling will make about forty Barils of Oyl, a Stunt 

 or Whale two years old will make sometimes fifty, sometimes sixty Barrils of Oyl, and the 

 largest whale that I have heard of in these Parts, yielded one hundred and ten barrels of Oyl, 

 and twelve hundred Weight of Bone.' 



" In 1709 the fishery had attained such value on Long Island that some parties attempted to 

 reduce it, so far as possible, to a monopoly, and grants of land previously made by Governor 

 Fletcher and others, in a reckless and somewhat questionable manner were improved for per- 

 sonal benefit. Earl Bellomont, in commenting on these irregular practices, writes to the lords of 

 trade, under date of July 2 of that year,fl citing, among others, one Colonel Smith, who, he states, 



" N. Y. Col. Records, iii, p. 282. t Ibid., p. 311. t Mass. Col. MSS., Usurpation, vi, p. 126. 



4 Ibid., iv, p. 303. || N. Y. Col. Rec., v, p. 60. 11 Ibid., i v, p. 535. 



