HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN WHALE FISHERY. 29 



of knowledge of affairs inexcusably culpable) ; tbat tbe case be pleads 

 bas been brought before the supreme court and decided against him, 

 and Mulford is the only man who disputes the Crown's right, and the, good 

 governor charitably recommends their lordships to " bluff him."* Still 

 later, Hunter states that it was the custom long before his arrival to 

 take out whaling licenses. Many came voluntarily and did so. If 

 whaling is " decayed," it was not for want of whalemen, for the number 

 increases yearly; "but the truth of the matter is, that the Town of 

 Boston is the Port of Trade of the People inhabiting that end of Long 

 Island of late years, so that the exportation from hence of that commod- 

 ity must in the Books be less than formerly." The perquisites arising 

 from the sale of these licenses were of no account in themselves, but 

 yielding in this matter would only open a gap for the disputation of 

 ever perquisite of the government.t 



To this the lords of trade reply :$ " You intimate in your letter to our 

 Secretary of 22d November last that the Whale fishery is reserved to the 

 Crown by your Patents : as we can And no such thing in your Commis- 

 sion, you will explain what you mean by it." Mulford is now in London, 

 and desires dispatch in the decision in regard to this matter, pending 

 which the lords desire to know whether dues have been paid by any 

 one ; if so, what amount has been paid, and to what purpose this rev- 

 enue has been applied. § They close their letter with the following sen- 

 tence, which would hardly seem open to any danger of misconstruction : 

 " Upon this occasion we must observe to you, that we hope you ivill give all 

 due incouragement to that Trade." Evidently the case of Mulford vs. 

 Hunter looks badly for the governor. Still, Hunter is loth to yield read- 

 ily, and the discussion is further prolonged. 



It is now 1718. Governor Hunter, in his answer to the inquiries of 

 their lordships, || says Commission was issued giving power, " Cogno- 

 scendi de Flotsam, Jetsom, Lagon, Deodandis, &c," follows " et de 

 Piscibus Regalibus Sturgeonibus, Baleuis Ccetis Porpetiis Delphinis 

 Eeggis, &c." In regard to the income, he again writes that it is incon- 

 siderable ; that ouly the danger of being accused of giving up the 

 Crown's right would have led him to write about it. In amount, it was 

 not £20 per annum, (corroboratory of Mul ford's assertion of its decline), 

 and as the fish had left this coast, he should not further trouble them 

 about it. Up to the present time all but Mulford had paid and contin- 



* N. Y. Col. Rec, v, 480. This assertion must be inexcusably inaccurate, for it was 

 unquestionably on the ground of his sturdy defense of their rights that the people of 

 Easthampton so steadily returned him to the assembly. 



t N. Y. Col. Rec, v, p. 484. This admission of Hunter's of the smallness of the reve- 

 nue is indisputable evidence of his incompetence, and of the truth of Mulford's asser- 

 tion of the ultimate ruin of the whale-fishery under such restrictions. 



tN. Y. Col. Rec, v, p. 501. 



§ Ibid. It looks very much as though Mulford himself was propounding these 

 inquiries, and their lordships' were mere mouth pieces. 



|| N. Y. Col. Rec, v, p. 510. 



