244 A HISTORY OF THE WHALE FISHERIES 



sibility. This whaling was dangerous, and a lot of 

 lives were lost at it. 



In April these whalers returned to Honolulu, 

 leaving a few weeks later for the north. 



A good average catch (in the sixties) in northern 

 waters was ten Bowheads or Right Whales, which 

 yielded one thousand barrels of thirty gallons each 

 of oil, and sixteen thousand pounds of whalebone. 

 Landed in Europe this oil fetched three pounds nine 

 shillings a barrel, and the whalebone three shillings 

 and sixpence a pound. At this time the winter 

 fishery for the Sperm Whales was not of much 

 account. A vessel that obtained one hundred barrels 

 of sperm oil was fortunate, though occasionally much 

 larger captures were made since the Sperm Whale is 

 naturally a gregarious animal. 



When a Sperm Whale is in distress its companions 

 seek to succour it, the Right Whales on the contrary, 

 leave a stricken comrade. The Sperm whalers took 

 advantage of this, and once a whale had been struck 

 the other boats endeavoured to kill as many of the 

 school as speedily as possible. 



The Sperm Whales in the schools are stated at 

 this time to be small on the average, the older larger 

 individuals keeping more to themselves. 



The Bowheads were gradually driven farther and 

 farther north, right up into polar waters where the 

 sailing vessels could not follow them. The whales 

 kept more and more to the ice, leaving it later in 

 succeeding years, so that the whalers were compelled 

 to keep near the ice later in successive seasons. 



