198 A HISTORY OF THE WHALE FISHERIES 



voyage. The Volunteer left Whitby on the 24th 

 March, 1772. They saw a Sperm Whale in 69 

 2O ; N. on the I9th April, which is a high latitude 

 for that species. On the 26th they saw two whales, 

 one close to the ship, of very large size but not of 

 the black kind, " these kind of whales have fins on 

 their backs, and are seldom if ever caught, it being 

 dangerous to attempt it for as soon as they are struck 

 they are so strong and swift in nature that no boats 

 can get up to the assistance of the boat that is made 

 fast to them before they are gone, and there is great 

 danger of the boats oversetting." " I never heard 

 of any that attempted striking any of that kind but 

 a Dutchman some years since, but he was never 

 more heard of, so that it was suspected the whale had 

 run him quite off, and he had perished in the 

 attempt." 



Evidently the British whalers of this time left the 

 Finner severely alone. 



The ice fishery was still flourishing at this time, 

 the Volunteer being hi sight of fifty vessels at a 

 time. 



The Volunteer returned to Whitby on the 

 1 9th August, having captured five whales which 

 yielded one hundred and eighty-six butts of blubber, 

 estimated! to boil to about sixty-five tons of oil which 

 would sell at the lowest estimate at twenty pounds a 

 ton, so that the oil would yield one thousand three 

 hundred pounds. The whalebone of which they 

 had between four and five tons would yield two 

 thousand three hundred pounds at five hundred 



