THE WHALE FISHERY. 



ruption; As we now find One of our Vessels is captured & carried to New York, but without any 

 Oil on hoard, and Two others have lately been taken & carried into Boston & Salem, under pre- 

 tense (if having double; papers on board, (Nevertheless we presume the captors will not say that 

 any of our Whalemen have gone into New York during the season as such a charge would have 

 710 foundation in Truth). And if due attention is not paid to this valuable branch, which if it was 

 viewed in all its parts, perhaps would appear the most advantageous, of any possess'd by this 

 Government, it will be entirely lost, if the War continues :~We vtew it with regret & mention it 

 with concern. & from the gloomy prospect now before us, we apprehend many of the Inhabitants 

 must quit the Island, not being able even to provide necessaries for the approaching Winter: some 

 will retreat to the Continent & set down in the Western Governments; and the most active in the 

 Fishery will most probably go to distant Countries, where they can have every encouragement, 

 by Nations who are eagerly wishing to embrace so favourable an opportunity to accomplish their 

 desires : which will be a great loss to the Continent in general, but more to this Government in 

 particular. We beg leave to impress the consideration of this important subject, not as the judg- 

 ment of an insignificant few, but of a Town which a few Years since stood the Third in Rank (if 

 we mistake not) in bearing the Burthens of Government; It was then populous and abounded 

 with plenty, it is yet populous but is covered with poverty. Your Memorialists have made choice 

 of Samuel Starbuck, Josiah Barker, William Rotch, Stephen Hussey and Timothy Folger, as their 

 Committee who can speak more fully to the several matters contaiu'd in this Memorial, or any 

 other thing that may concern this County, to whom we desire to refer you. Signed in behalf of 



the Town by 



'"FREDERICK FOLGER, 



" ' Town Clerk.' 



"This memorial was referred to a committee consisting of George Cabot, esq., on behalf of the 

 senate, and General Ward and Colonel McCobb on the part of the house, which committee on 

 the 20th of October made the following report": 



".' That , alt ho' the Facts set forth in said Memorial are true and the Memorialists deserve 

 Relief in the premises, yet as no adequate Belief can be given them but by the United States in 

 Congress assembled, therefore it is the opinion of the Committee that the said Memorial be referr'd 

 to the consideration of Congress, and the Delegates of this Commonwealth be required to use 

 their Endeavours to impress Congress with just Ideas of the high worth & Importance of the 

 Whale fishery to the United States in general, & this State in particular.'* 



"This report was accepted, and it was ordered that the delegates be furnished with a copy of 

 the memorial, and be required to take the action indicated in the report. 



"In addition to the action of the general court, the town also sent William Rotch and Samuel 

 Starhuck to Philadelphia to intercede personally in the matter. After conferring with General 



"*Mas. <;<>]. MSS., Petitions, i, pp. l;i 1-5-6-7-8-9. A memorandum accompanies this, which various circum- 

 stances si 'fin to indicate is I lie work of Mr. Ixotch, and which sa.\s: 'Perhaps some of those reports may have originated 

 from this -a Committee of our Island in the fore part of the year 17^1 applied to some of the Members of the General 

 Court ami spread before thorn the peeiiliur circumstances wherein the Island was involved, one whereof was that 

 our Vessels whenever they passed in or out were perfectly under the eontronl of the Britons and it was therefore 

 necessary that permits should be obtained from them for our Vessels to proceed on the Whale fishery since which 

 time some of t hem have been taken by the American Privateers for having such Permits and we are thereby reduced 

 to this difficulty that if we carry our Vessels over the liar without permit from the ISriti.-li Admiral they are made 

 pri/.c tu the I'li-itons if they have such permits they are taken by our own Countrymen ami our harbour is tin re- 

 fore completely shut up and all our prospects terminate in poverty and distress what gives us great concern is that 

 our people who understand the Whale fishery will bo driven to foreign neutral Countries and many years must pass 

 away before we .shall again be enabled to puisne a branch of business which hath been in times past our support and 

 bath yielded such large aids to the Commerce of this Conntry.'" 



SEC. v, VOL,, n !) 



