224 A HISTORY OF THE WHALE FISHERIES 



porary records, that the fishing had been inaugurated 

 before the end of the seventeenth century. In 1688 

 Secretary Randolph wrote home to England : " New 

 Plimouth Colony have great profit by whale killing. 

 I believe it will be one of our best returns, now 

 beaver and peltry fayle us." Whaling was early 

 recognised as a regular vocation in the Connecticut 

 and New York colonies. It seems probable that the 

 first organised prosecution of the whale fishery by 

 Americans was made by the settlers at the eastern 

 end of Long Island. Sometime between 1650 and 

 1670 the practice of taking only drift whales, that 

 had been cast ashore by the sea, was superseded 

 by the taking of whales by harpooners from small 

 open boats. These boats were designed for whaling 

 along the coasts ; they were fitted out for voyages 

 Casting two weeks, but did not venture far out to 

 sea, the men usually camping on shore for the night. 

 The only other place to engage in whaling prior to 

 1700 was Nantucket. Here the whales came right 

 ( nto the harbour, and early efforts were made to 

 rapture them by means of harpoons. With the early 

 years of the eighteenth century Nantucket rapidly 

 1'ecame the foremost whaling station. At first 

 whales were so plentiful that all the oil required 

 could be obtained without the boats having to go out 

 of sight of land. Naturally at this time all the 

 captured whales were towed ashore where the trying 

 out works were erected. A look-out was kept from 

 a prominent place on the land, and when a whale was 

 seen the boats were sent out in pursuit. Many 



