232 A HISTORY OF THE WHALE FISHERIES 



At this time the English were trying hard to 

 build up a whaling trade, paying heavy bounties for 

 the purpose. A commercial treaty with France in 

 1789 opened up a prosperous trade, but after a few 

 shipments thither the outbreak of the French 

 Revolution upset all calculations, and^nce more 

 the whaling industry received a check. Under the 

 stimulus of this French trade the American whalers 

 extended their voyages in the Atlantic, and even 

 rounded Cape Horn in their search" for whales. 

 The first American whalers to enter the Pacific did 

 so in 1791, about four years after English ships had 

 ypen'ed up Pacific whaling. After 1792 the ship- 

 x ments of whale products from America to France 

 lid not pay costs, and this branch of the trade 

 ceased. In 1798 the prospects of war between the 

 United States and France induced French 

 privateers to prey upon American commerce, 

 including the whalers. 



From this time to the war of 1812, the whaling 

 ii dustry fluctuated considerably. Up to 1806 or 

 1807, the Fleet was gradually developing from 

 year to year, but after that the decline was 

 steady. 



The embargo of 1807 stopped the exportation of 

 whale products and thus kept down the price of oil 

 and candles in the States. In 1810 things appeared 

 more settled, and whaling was extensively resumed, 

 so that when war broke out between the English 

 and the Americans in 1812 a large number of 

 whalers were at sea, some in the Pacific, whither 



