THE WHALK FISHERY. 103 



with an ever-increasing number of mariners and vessels, taking the cod and mackerel, and some- 

 times pursuing the whale into the icy labyrinths of the northern seas; yet loving home, and 

 dearly attached to their modest freeholds.' 



" Of this period Hutchinson says : * ' The increase of the consumption of oil by lamps as well 

 as by divers manufactures in Europe has been no small encouragement to our whale-fishery. The 

 flourishing state of the island of Nantucket must be attributed to it. The cod and whale fishery, 

 being the principal source of our returns to Great Brrtamp^re therefore worthy not only of 

 provincial but national attention.' 



" A continual succession of foreign wars, in which the hardy fishermen and farmers of New 

 England were constantly called to the aid of England, coupled with a continual succession of in- 

 tolerant measures ad6pted by the mother country toward the plantations, which, in common with 

 the colonists at large, they felt impelled to resist, was gradually preparing America for the event- 

 ful struggle which was to end in its independence. By the experience of the wars they learned 

 their strength ; through the pressure of the tyrannical acts they learned their rights." 



EMBARGO OF 1757. "Pending the expedition for the reduction of Nova Scotia in 1755 an 

 embargo was laid upon the Bank fishermen, though the risk of capture was so great that it of 

 itself must have quite effectively embargoed many of them. t 



' In 1757 the embargo being still continued upon the fishery in these waters a petition 

 was presented to the general court of Massachusetts from the people of Martha's Vineyard and 

 Nantucket, representing thai the memorialists 'being Informed that your Honours think it not 

 advisable to Permit the fishermen to Sail on their Voyages until the time limited by the Embargo 

 is Expired by Keason that their fishing banks where they Usually proceed on said Voyages lyes 

 Eastward not far from Gape breton which may be a means of their falling into the hands of the freuch 

 which may be of had Consequence to the Common Cause. Your Memorialists would Humbly observe 

 to Your Honours that that is not the Case witli the whalemen their procedure on their Voyages is 

 Westward of the Cape of Virginia and southward of that until the month of June from which Your 

 Memorialists are of the mind their is nothing like the Danger of their falling into the hands of the 

 (.'ape bretou Privateers as would be If they went Eastward. Your Memorialists would further 

 Observe that the whalemen have almost double the Number of hands that the fishermen Carry 

 which makes Their Charge almost Double to that of fishermen and ye first part of the Whale 

 season is Always Esteemed the Principal time for their making their Voyages which If they lose 

 the greatest part of the People will have nothing to Purchase the Necessaries of life withal they 

 h , \eing no other way which must make them in miserable Situation. Your memorialists would 

 therefore beg that y r Honours would take Our Miserable Situation under Consideration and grant 

 our Whalemen liberty to Proceed on Our Voyages from this time If it be Consistent with your 

 (heat wisdom as in duty bound shall every pray| 



" ' JOHN NORTON (for Martha's Vineyard) 

 " 'ABISHAI FOLGER (for Nantucket)' 



" In compliance with the foregoing petition the council passed this resolution (April 8, 1758): 

 'Inasmuch as the Inhabitants of Nantucket most of whom are Quakers are by Law exempted 

 from Impresses for military Service. And their Livelihood intirely depends on the Whale fishery 



""Hist, of Mas.sachnsut.t8, ii, p. 400." 



" t A duly w;is laid upon the colonists in 1756 to support a frigate on the Banks to defend the fishery." 

 " t Mass. Col. MSS., Maritime, vi, p. 371. From this petition it would appear that, having an unfavorable season 

 at the southward, the \vhal<>men would stand for the Banks hoping to fill there. If, however, a vessel got home early 

 from the north, they frequently went on another voyage to the south and westward in the same year." 



