146 HISTORY AND METHODS OP THE FISHERIES. 



price $1.24f per gallon. The largest quantity of whale oil was produced in 1851, 328,483 barrels, 

 or 10,347,214 gallons, averaging 45^ cents per gallon. The largest quantity of whalebone was 

 produced in 1853. 5,652.300 pounds, averaging 34J cents (gold) per pound. 



(a) TRADE REVIEWS. 



The following extracts, taken from the Whalemen's Shipping List, published nt New Bed- 

 ford, Mass., showing the yearly condition of the whaling industry from 1808 to 1880, are kindly 

 furnished by Messrs. I. H. Bartlett & Sons. 



The words "imports" and "importations" in these reviews mean the receipts of oil from (lie 

 American fleet, and do not mean imports of foreign production, but the catch of American vessels 

 in the various oceans. 



Review of the whale fishery for 1868. The present year has witnessed the return of the usual number of whalers, 

 and generally with satisfactory catches, and quite as favorable results as anticipated. The price of sperm oil ruled 

 steady through the year, while in whale a generally advancing market was maintained, and in September (owing to 

 telegraphic advices from the fleet as late as the middle of August, announcing a failure of the fishery iip to that date) 

 a marked advance was established, aud holders of the small stock (17,f)00 barrels) demanded $1.25 and upwards. 

 Whalebone, being similarly affected, sold in the summer as low as 85 cents, currency, but upon the unfavorable news 

 advanced to $1.424, with sales, and a further advance was demanded. A month later more favorable reports can e to 

 hand from the fleet in the, Arctic, which cast a new feature over the prospects of prices and supply. The season up 

 to August 23 was a failure, but a few whales having been taken up to tbat time, some of the ablest masters having 

 taken no oil, and many vessels left for other grounds; those that remained were successful in taking extraordinary 

 cuts of oil ; in one instance, the bark John Rowland, taking 1,000 barrels of oil in four days iu the latter part of Sep- 

 tember, and many other vessels took an average of 1,000 barrels in thirty days, the largest catches being the ships 

 Reindeer, 1,T>50 barrels, and the Florida, 1,700 barrels. 



Owing to the, low prices ruling for whale oil and whalebone, in the early aud middle part of the year many of the 

 ships returning from the North Pacific were put into the sperm and right whale fishery in the Indian and Southern 

 Oceans, which will account in part for the small fleet to go north in 1869, and many ships will return home this spring, 

 having completed three or more seasons. So that, as the whale fishery now stands, there will not probably be over 

 fifty ships of all nationalities cruising in the North Pacific in 1869, a smaller number than since 1863 ; leaving the rest 

 of the whale fleet, about two hundred and thirty-nine ships to pursue sperm whaling iu whole or in part in every 

 other ocean and sea. 



We have no changes to note of employment of ships in the fishery, but add the port of San Francisco to our list 

 as one of the ports of the United States engaged in the fishery. 



The number of vessels from the Atlantic ports engaged in the fishery January 1, 1869, is 220 ships and barks, '23 

 brigs and 87 schooners, with 73,105 tonnage, showing an increase of only one vessel as compared with last year, but a 

 falling off of 1,489 tons, of which 878 tons grows out of remeasnrements by the new system, to which we add 6 vessels 

 from the port of San Francisco, with 1,414 tonnage, making the total number of vessels from the United States, Janu- 

 ary 1, 1869, 336, with a tonnage of 74,519, being within 75 tons of that of 1868. 



The schooner Etta G. Fogg, of Provincetown, and Money Hill, of Boston, are missing, aud are supposed to have 

 foundered at sea, the former not having been heard from since sailing, and the latter when only a short time out. 

 The brig Georgiana, of New London, with 700 barrels of oil ou freight from Cumberland Inlet whalers for New Lon- 

 don, has not been heard from since sailing from the inlet in October, 1868, and it is feared is lost. 



The Atlantic whale fishery has been carried on by about as many whalers as in 1867, with quite as favorable 

 returns. The vessels from Provincetown and ports eastward, comprising nearly one-half the fleet, averaged about 

 the same quantity of oil as in 1867, but owing to the increased cost of the vessels added, and the reduced price of 

 sperm oil, the business was not, on the whole, as remunerative. 



The " Commodore Morris Ground " proved a failure, hut whales were found quite plenty on other grounds, though 

 very wild, and several vessels were very fortunate ; nine vessels averaging 400 barrels sperm oil. 



The fleet in the Pacific Ocean was nearly as successful as iu 1867, those that met with extraordinary luck in that 

 year having continued to take large quantities of oil, more especially those cruising in the South Pacific, while some 

 of the vessels cruising on the west coast of South America took good cuts of oil. The fleet will be somewhat increased 

 the present year, being about sixty American ships, including some of the most successful which are expected to 

 return home. 



Panama has proved a convenient port for transshipment of oil home, there having been quite a number of whalers 

 there the past year to receive supplies and to ship their oil, amounting to 3,250 barrels of sperm. The, reduced price of 

 freight to 6 cents, gold, per gallon, with prospects of a further deduction, will probably induce more vessels to visit 

 there in future. 



The sperm-whale fleet for 1869 will be distributed about as follows : lathe North and South Atlantic about 150 

 vessels, the usual number for the past three years, exclusive of homeward bound ve^els. In the Indian Ocean, 35 

 vessels, against 31 in 1866. In the Pacific Ocean, 04 vessels, against 40 in 1866. Totji 1 -els. 



