THE W1IALE FISHERY. 127 



them. Long practice had made them familiar with it, and a singleness of pursuit had kept them 

 comparatively ignorant of any other occupation. But the great problem was how to carry it on, 

 even in the limited way to which, by the. destruction of their vessels, they were restricted. If they 

 sailed under American protection, the English captured and destroyed their vessels and imprisoned 

 their men ; if they cleared with the sanction of English safeguards, the Americans performed for 

 them the same kindly offices. Between the upper and the nether millstones of war they were quite 

 ground to powder. In their extremity they learned that theJEuglish were inclined to be lenient 

 toward them in the matter, and they had quite reliable assurance that the leading men of the 

 American Government looked compassionately upon the distressed situation of the unfortunate 

 islanders. 



" Influenced by these considerations, the inhabitants sent Timothy Folger, esq., to New York, 

 to represent the condition they were in, and solicit permission to carry, on whaling without danger 

 of capture from British cruisers. They asked permits for twenty fishing boats to fish around the 

 island, for four vessels to be employed in the whale fishery, for ten small vessels to supply the 

 inhabitants witli wood, and for one to go to New York for some few supplies not obtainable else- 

 where.* Their petition was not so successful -as they had wished." 



AMERICAN VESSELS GRANTED PERMITS FOR WHALING. "In 1781 'Admiral Digby succeeded 

 Admiral Arbuthnot in the command of the English fleet in these waters, and permission to whale 

 was asked of him,t and permits were issued for twenty-four vessels to pursue the business 

 unmolested by English armed cruisers.f ' This privilege,' says Macy, ' seemed to give new life 

 to the people. It produced a considerable movement in business, but the resources of the island 

 had so diminished that but a small number of vessels could take the benefit of these permits. 

 Those who had vessels, and were possessed of the means, fitted them out on short voyages, and, 

 had there been no hindrance, it is probable that they would have done well ; for the whales, 



""Macy, li:i." 



"tMr. Macy gives us to understand that no permits were granted, but this must be an error; for Mr. Rotch (vide 

 MS.), who was one of the committee the succeeding year to obtain grants from the English, mentions an accusation 

 made by Commodore Affleck, of abuse of confidence in regard to the permits which were grauted the year before, and 

 that scarcely a vessel could bo found but had one of these documents. To this Mr. Rotch replied: 'Commodore 



Affleck, thou hast been greatly imposed upon in this matter. I defy Capt. to make such a declaration to my 



face. Those Permits were put into my hands. I delivered them, taking receipts for each, to be returned to me at 

 the end of the voyage, and an obligation that no transfer should be made or copies given. I received back all the 

 Permits except two before I left home, and should probably have received those two on the day that I sailed. Now 

 _if any duplicity has been practiced, I am the person who is accountable, and I aui here to take the punishment such 

 perfidy deserves.' Mr. Rotch's character as a man and a merchant stood too high to be questioned, and the commo- 

 dore, who a moment before was so violent, became more genial, and replied, ' You deserve favor,' and assisted Mr. 

 Rotch to obtain it. The termination of this difficulty is but one example of the manner in which all these slanders, 

 from both English and Americans, were disposed of when the accused could have an opportunity of confronting the 

 accusers or those in authority." 



"{The following is a copy of one of these permits, from Macy, p. 115: 



" ' [L. s. ] By Robert Digby, Esquire, Rear Admiral of the Red, and Commander-in-chief, &c., &c. 



Jam. >s Chase "Permission is hereby given to the Dolphin brig, burthen sixty tons, Walter Folger owner, 



oiwiiiah Folder navigated by Gilbert Folger as master and the twelve seamen named in the margin, to leave the 



>lmiau island of Nantnckct and to proceed on a whaling voyage, to commence the first of January, 1782, 



e'harlesViisswil am * en ^ t ' 10 ' ast l ^ ay ^ following, provided that they have on board the necessary whaling 



Peter Pollard craft and provisions only, and that the master of said brig is possessed of a certificate from the 



Andrew Colema* selectmen of the said island, setting forth that she is boiiefide the property of the inhabitants of the 



Obed Barnard island, with the names of the master and seamen in her: and that she shall not be found proceed- 



Jonathan Briggs ing witll bcr cargo to ailv o(lier port than N antuc t et or jfew York. 



'"Dated at New York, ilie first day of December, 1781. 



" ' ROBERT DIGBY. 



'To the commissioners of his majesty's ships and vessels of war, as well as of all privateers and letters of marque, 

 " 'By command of the Admiral : 



. PALMER.'" 



