6 PREFACE 



Necessarily some of the subject-matter is only of 

 interest to the specialist, but whaling is so unique in 

 many respects in the romance of the life of the 

 whalers, and in the natural history of one of the 

 most remarkable groups of living creatures that 

 even detailed studies of the subject are not without 

 interest. 



The romance of the whalers' life can only be 

 realised by a perusal of the original writings of the 

 whalers. In this book the main facts of the 

 progress of the whaling trade have been marshalled. 

 In many, if not in most cases, these facts speak for 

 themselves. If within the next few decades whaling 

 is not become entirely extinct, owing to the practical 

 disappearance from the seas of the globe of the 

 animals whose presence is necessary to its continued 

 existence, it is imperative that further steps should be 

 taken to regulate the industry by international action. 

 Otherwise a most interesting group of marine 

 animals will be hunted to the verge of extinction, 

 and a great natural asset rendered worthless to 

 enrich a small group of speculators and capitalists. 

 This book has been written in the hope that, before 

 it is too late, steps will be taken to control this 

 ruthless destruction. 



J- T. J. 



