THE WHALE FISHERY. 153 



The fleet starts to-day with two hundred and three vessels in the business, against two hundred and eighteen a 

 year ago and two hundred and eighty-eight two years ago, showing a decrease of 15 per cent, per annnm for two 

 years past. Another installment of 15 per cent, in sale of ships during 1873 we think would reconcile interested 

 parties for the time to the present condition of the business. Of nine vessels (schooners) added to the fleet in 1872 

 seven had previously been temporarily withdrawn, and two were bought to engage in the South Shetland whaling 

 and sealing business, which was revived last year with considerable profit, the skins being the finest fur seals known. 



The 24 whalers sold and lost represented 5,192 tons, while the 9 schooners added show only 766 tons. The fleet 

 at sea January 1, 1873, numbers 155 vessels, against 165 a year ago. We had employed in 1853 571 vessels, with a 

 tonnage of 200,286, averaging 350 tons; in 1863, 357 vessels, with a tonnage of 103,146, averaging 288 tons; in 1873, 

 203 vessels, with a tonnage of 47,996, averaging 236 tons. The comparison shows a large reduction in number of 

 vessels, also a reduction in the average size of the ships employed. The largest fleet in the Arctic Ocean was in 1854, 

 when 232 ships were there and obtained 184,063 barrels whale^oiljjtveraging 794 "barrels. The largest quantity of 

 sperm oil was imported in 1853, 103,077 barrels, averaging in price $1.24. The largest quantity of whale oil was 

 imported in 1851, 328,4Si barrels, averaging 45 cents. The largest quantity of whalebone imported was in 1853, 

 5,652,300 pouuds, averaging 34 cents, gold. 



These figures serve to show how great a change the whale fishery has undergone at horn e and among consumers. 

 Our entire import of sperm and whale oil in 1872 was about three-fourths of our import of sperm in 1853 and about 

 one-fourth of our import of whale in 1851; and our import of whalebone in 1872 was about one twenty-eighth of the 

 import of Is53. 



In twenty years the consumption of sperm oil has reduced one-half, at flame prices, 103,000 against 45,000 barrels. 

 In whale it is reduced five-sixths, at an increased price of 20 per cent., 328,000 barrels against 50,000 barrels; and in 

 whalebone it is reduced nine-tenths, with an increased price of 100 per cent., 5,652,300 pounds against 500,000 pounds. 

 We do not get oil and whalebone enough in the average to get our money back, and those who get the largest catches 

 at competition prices have failed to make money. And so our oldest and most successful ship-owners are willing to 

 sell their ships. But there are a few firms who, having fine ships and good and skillful masters, are resolute and deter- 

 mined not to succumb to the untoward elements in the business until they have tested the matter thoroughly, and to 

 such we believe success will come and should come. 



No whaling grounds have been abandoned ; every sea and ocean is at present explored by our whalers. The 

 Hudson Bay and Cumberland Inlet whaling was a failure, some seven vessels being there and obtaining only about 

 1,500 barrels oil. The bark Milwood was lost there, the crew being saved, also her cargo of 150 barrels oil and 1,600 

 pounds of bone. Three whalers are wintering in Hudson Bay and three in Cumberland Inlet. 



The Arctic Ocean was visited by twenty-eight American and four foreign whalers, and though the September 

 whaling, which is usually the best, was a failure, still the fleet averaged 700 barrels oil and 10,000 pounds of bone. 

 Nearly 5,000 barrels walrus oil was taken in the Arctic, though some masters, who were disposed to give up walrus- 

 ing, abstained from it. The bark Eoscoe was totally lost, crew saved. The Helen Snow and Sen Breeze were aban- 

 doned ; the former was found by the Jireh Perry, and a crew put on board of her, and sent to San Francisco, where 

 she has since been sold to the Alaska Sealing Company. The latter ship was recovered again by her crew, and 

 continued her whaling. The Live Oak, Joseph Maxwell, and Arnolda were badly stove, but reached port safely. 

 The bark Florence went up to the wrecked whalers and secured the Minerva, also 250 barrels sperm, 1,200 barrels 

 whale oil, and 15,000 pounds of bone, and brought them all to San Francisco. Other bone was traded for and came 

 to San Francisco ; in all about 50,000 pounds. 



Humpbacking has been successfully carried on everywhere. In Panama Bay 10,000 barrels were taken ; at 

 Harper's and Tonga Islands and Chesterfield Shoals, 8,000 barrels ; on the coast of Africa, 2,000 barrels ; and around 

 the West Indies, 2,000 barrels ; in all 22,000 barrels and equal to. the entire Arctic catch. Not much was done on 

 Crozettes and Desolation. Only two whalers arrived from the Arctic Ocean in 1872, being of the seven saved from 

 the fleet of 1871. A fair catch was made sea elephanting and sealing. 



The Arctic fleet for 1873 will number about thirty-tw.o vessels. Two whalers only return home, and one goes to 

 New Zealand. Six ships left this port in 1872 to join the Arctic fleet. One or two ships may go to the Ocbotsk Sea 

 this year, which has not been visited by whalers since 1870. One firm, who lost all three ships in the Arctic in 1871, 

 has sent out throe to replace them in the season of 1873. There were no whalers on Kodiac in 1871 or 1872. It is 

 possible Margueritta Bay may be visited this winter by one or two of our Arctic fleet. 



Sperm whaling has been but partially successful in the Atlantic. Several good cuts were obtained, and the 

 whaling was very fair, but it was poor in the South Atlantic. In Indian Ocean, on New Zealand, and the west coast 

 of South America, with few exceptions, the sperm-whale fleet has been largely engaged in humpbacking between 

 seasons, with good fares, as before stated. As nearly three-fourths of the fleet is sperm whaling, there is a reasonable 

 prospect of having a good supply, at least so long as whales can be found ; and this branch of our business promises 

 to survive, as substitutes are not so readily found as for whale oil, and the fleet is well distributed on all the known 

 grounds for sperm whaling. Some good catches have been secured during the year, and in most cases were needed 

 to put their respective vessels in creditable position. 



The stock of sperm oil on board of whalers now is about 27,000 barrels, against 33,000 barrels a year ago. 



Last fall twenty-two out of thirty-two ships from the Arctic came to San Francisco and seven went to Honolulu, 

 and two home to Sydney ; fourteen of the San Francisco fleet were met there by their agents, comprising some ten of 

 our merchants, part of thorn taking their wives with them. In part owing to difficulties in shipping oil home from 

 there, five ships were ordered to Panama to land and ship home their cargoes ; four were ordered direct to Honolulu, 



