THE WHALE FISHERY. 123 



" ' May it please your Honours : * While I resided at Paris I had an opportunity of procuring 

 from London exact Information concerning the British Whale Fishery on the Coast of Brazil, 

 which I beg Leave to communicate to your Honours, that if any advantage can be made of it the 

 opportunity may not be lost. 



"'The English, the last year and the year before, carried on this Fishery to very great 

 advantage, off of the Eiver Plate, in South America iu the Latitude Thirty -five south and from \ 

 thence to Forty, just on the edge of soundings, off and on, about the Longitude sixty-five, from 

 London. They had seventeen vessells in this Fishery, which all sailed from London, in the 

 Months of September and October. All the officers-andJtten_axe^Americans. \ 



"'The Names of the Captains are, Aaron Sheffield of Newport, , Goldsmith t and 



Richard Holmes from Long Island, John Chadwick, Francis May,| Reubftu May, John Meader, 

 Jonathan Miader, Elisha Clark, Benjamin Clark, William Ray, Paul Pease, Bunker Fitch, 

 Reuben Fitch, Zebbeedee Coffin || and another Coffin. - - Delauo,1f Andrew Swain, William 

 Ray, all of Nautucket, John Lock, Cape Cod ; ** four or five of these vessels went to Greenland. 

 The fleet sails to Greenland yearly, the last of February or the Beginning of March. There was 

 published, the year before last, in the English Newspapers, and the same Imposture was repeated 

 last year, and no doubt will be renewed this, a Letter from the Lords of Admiralty to Mr. Dennis 

 Do Benilt, in Colmau street, informing him that a Convoy should be appointed to the Brazil 

 Fluet. But this, I had certain Information, was a Forgery calculated mainly to deceive American 

 Privateers, and that no Convoy was appointed, or did go with that Fleet, either last year, or the 

 year before. 



" ' For the Destruction or Captivity of a Fishery so entirely defenceless, for not one of the 

 Vessells has any arms, a single Frigate or Privateer of Twenty-four, or even of Twenty guns, 

 would be sufficient. The Beginning of December, would be the best Time to proceed from hence, 

 because the Frigate would then find the Whaling Vessells nearly loaded. The Cargoes of these 

 Vessells, consisting of Bone and Oyl, will be very valuable, and at least four hundred and fifty of 

 the best kind of seamen would be taken out of the Hands of the English, and might be gained 

 into the American service to act against the Enemy. Most of the officers and Men wish well to 

 this Country, and would gladly be in its service if they could be delivered, from that they are 

 engaged in. Whenever an English Man of war, or Privateer, has taken an American Vessell, 

 they have given to the Whalemen among the Crew, by order of Government, their Choice, either 

 to go on Board a Man of war, and fight against their Country or go into the Whale Fishery. 

 Such Numbers have chosen the latter as have made up the Crews of these seventeen Vessells. 



" ' I thought it my Duty to communicate this Intelligence to your Honours, that if so profit- 

 able a Branch of Commerce, and so valuable a Nursery of Seamen, can be taken from the English 

 it may be done. This State has a peculiar Right and Interest to undertake the Enterprise, as 

 almost tue whole fleet belongs to it. I have the Honour to be, with the highest Consideration, 

 your Honours most obedient & most humble servant 



" 'JOHN ADAMS.' 



' * In 1778 the commissioners (Franklin and Adams) in France wrote to the President of Congress in nearly the 

 same words, urging the destruction of tho English whale fishery on the coast of Brazil and the release of the Ameri- 

 cans there, who were practically prisoners of war, compelled to aid in supporting (he enemy. In the letter of the 



commissioners, dated Pussy, , 1778, Messrs Franklin and Adams write that three whalemen have been taken 



by French men-of-war and carried into L'Orienf. The crews of these whaling vessels are Americans. (Works of 

 John Adams, vii, p. (J3.)" 



"t William Goldsmith, who sailed from Nantucket for London with a cargo of oil in April, 1775." 



" t Fran cis Macy . ' ' } Reuben Macy." " || Zebdiel Coffin." 



" IF Abisha D elano (probably.)" " * From Nantucket. Twenty names are given in this list." 



