THE WHALE FISHERY. 219 



ties, known as " seasoners," * "beech-combers,"' and " shoalers." Some of tbem may be engaged 

 for the season, and others for the balance of the voyage; although the terms are specified when 

 the papers are signed, they are seldom respected or observed by this class of men. Upon their 

 arrival at New Bedford the crews are not disposed to ship again as whalemen, preferring to try 

 their luck with the coasters in the carrying trade, or perhaps in the fisheries. But these branches 

 of the service rarely suit them, and as they are constitutionally opposed to manual labor ashore, 

 being accustomed in their native islands to the open sea, many of them are compelled to ship again 

 in self defense as whalemen, or to be shipped, nolens volens, by their boarding masters for debt- 

 They rarely return to this country, however. No one-seem^to know or care where this vagabond ' 

 element goes or how it disposes of itself. 



The native's of the Azores, Cape Verde, Aniiobon, and St. Thomas, though of the negro element, 

 speak a corrupt form of the Portuguese language. The "Cape Verdes," as they call themselves, 

 are nmlattoes a mixture of negro and Portuguese and more intelligent than the Bravas, Fogoes, 

 and Anuobous, who are exceedingly black. Both-olasses may mingle freely in business matters, 

 but socially the (Jape Verdes consider themselves superiqr. The Kanakas, Maories, Guamies, 

 Lascars, Annobons, West Indiamen. and some of the Portuguese, make good whalemen, but 

 indifferent sailors. On their native islands their eyes have been educated in distinguishing remote 

 objects on the surface of the sea; he'nce they are especially desirable at the lookout of a whaling- 

 vessel, since they can often detect the slight puff of the sperm whale's breath amid the surface 

 mist peculiar to low latitudes. More especially is this true of the Kanakas. They know no fear 

 and never hesitate to approach a whale and harpoon it ; but on the vessel they are lazy and shift- 

 less. 



The remnants of the Chilinark Indians (half-breeds) at Gay Head (Martha's Vineyard) and 

 Montauk Point (Long Island) furnish excellent material for the whale-fishery, and upon them New) 

 Bedford relies more or less for her boat-steerers. The mate and two boat-steerers of ship Niger, 

 which sailed from New Bedford in October, 1882, were Indians. In the early days of whaling, and 

 indeed after this industry had established a solid fooling, the white man relied in part upon the 

 Indian to man his boats and to perform other duties in this fishery, t 



Few Americans below the rank of mates and captains are to be found on whaling-vessels now 

 sailing from our ports. In former days, New England's best sons were trained in this nursery ; 

 commencing as they did as cabin boys or foremast hands, they worked their way through the 

 various gradations of promotion. The sous and other male connections of the commission mer- 



* The "seasouers" are men who may be obtained on any coast to ship for the season, but the term is, in a measure, 

 synonymous, or nearly so, with ' beach-combers " ; the principal difference is, that ii' there is any respectable element 

 at all in either class it may be found in the former. Many of them are adventurers, growlers, and deserters from 

 wliale. s-hips. They prowl about the whores of the various islands in the Atlantic and Pacific, and can only be induced 

 to again (inter the service when necessity drives them to it. It is seldom they can be depended upon to discharge 

 theii- (I-: lies, oven after they sign the articles. The "beach-combers" may also be found about the shores. They are 

 a laxv, s'lil'ilrss, degraded class of men who have no respect for the.iiselves and, consequently, receive none from 

 others. They embrace different nationalities, many of them are deserters, and the majority of them are unreliable. 

 They are at times compelled to ship as whalemen to obtain means of subsistence, but, as soori as they get several 

 "able-bodied meals.'' and receive' supplies of clothing from the "ship chest," they desert at the first opportunity, and 

 saciiliee their lays, beii.g no better o!)' th.in before, excepting that they have bad a temporary home in the ship and 

 leave, with betterc-lothing on their backs. The "shoalers " are liall'-l'teeds, a mixture of Spaniard and Indian, frequent- 

 ing the coasts of Peru, Chili, and Colombia. They are usually engaged for the season, and are fair whalemen. 

 Formerly masters of \vell-reguhiied whaling vessels declined to ship any of the above-named classes; but at present, 

 they are compelled to make up their crew from this element when they are short-handed on the \oyage. 



tin ICT'-i the town of Southampton, Long Island, passed an order for the- regulation of whaling and the employ- 

 ment of the "Indyaus to goa-whaling," in which it is slated that .i;i Indian should not receive ' for his Hire above one 

 Trucking Cloth Coat, for each Whale lice and his Company shall Kill, or Italic the ISIubher, without the Whale Bone, 

 under a Penalty therein exprest." AU:XANDI;K STAKBUCK: Hist. Ainer. Whale Fishery. 



