HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN WHALE FISHERY. 15 



In 1684 an act for the ''Encouragement of trade and Navigation" 

 within the province of New York was passed, laying a duty of 10 per 

 cent, on all oil and bone exported from New York to any other port or 

 place except directly to England, Jamaica, Barbadoes, or some other of 

 the Caribbean Islands. 



In May, 1688, the Duke of York instructs his agent, John Leven, to 

 inquire into the number of whales killed during the past six years within 

 the province of New York, the produce of oil aud bone, and " about 

 his share."* To this Leven makes reply that there has been no record 

 kept, and that the oil aud bone were shared, by the companies killing 

 the fish. To Leven's statement, Andross, who is in Englaud defending 

 his colonial government, asserts that all those whales that were driven 

 ashore were killed aud claimed by the whalers or Iudians.t 



In August, 16S8, we find the first record of an intention to obtain 

 sperm oil. Among the records in the State archives at Boston is a 

 petition from Timotheus Vauderueu, commander of the brigantine 

 Happy Return, of New Yorke, to Governor Andross, praying for 

 "Licence and Permission, with one Equipage Consisting in twelve 

 mariners, twelve whalemen and six Diuers — from this Port, upon a 

 fishing design about the Bohames Islands, And Cap florida, for sperma 

 Coeti whales and Racks : And so to returue for this Port.''| Whether 

 this voyage was ever undertaken or not we have no means of knowing, 

 but the petition is conclusive evidence that there were men in the 

 country familiar even then with some of the haunts of the sperm whale 

 and with his capture. 



Francis Nicholson, writing from Fort James, December, 16S8, says: 

 " Onr whalers have had pretty good luck, killing about Graves End three 

 large whales. On the Easte End aboute five or six small ones."§ Dur- 

 ing this same year the town of Easthampton being short of money, 

 debtors were compelled to pay their obligations in produce, and in order 

 to have some system of exchange the trustees of the town " being 

 Legally met March 6, 1688-9 it was agreed that this year's Towne rate 

 should be held to be good pay if it be paid as Follows : 



£. s. d. 



11 Dry merchantable hides att 6 



" Indian Corn 3 



" Wuale Bone 3 feet long and upwards 8."|| 



Whalebone without any manner 5f Lett Hindrance or MoleataCon, shee having beene 

 cleared by order from the Custom house here & given security accordingly. Given undei 

 my hand in N. Y. this 20th day of April in the 30th yeare of his Ma ties raigue A Dom 

 ini 1678. 



"To all his Ma ties Offic ra whom this may Concerue." 



* N. Y. Col. Records, iii, p. 282. 



MUd., p. 311. 



X Mass. Col. MSS., Usurpation, vi, p. 126. 



§ Ibid., iv, p. 303. 



|| Bi-Centennial Address at Easthampton, p. 41. 



