46 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Two ships had been fitted out from London, the Pallisser and the Labra- 

 dore, for the express purpose of trading, fishing, and whaling on the 

 coast of Labrador and in the Straits of Belle-isle. Capt. Charles Penn, 

 who came out in them as pilot, left the Straits on the 9th of July on his 

 way to Newfoundland. On his passage he went on board quite a num- 

 ber of whaling- vessels, and reported that they had met with very poor 

 success, had got only about twenty whales in the entire fleet. In con- 

 sequence of this failure some of fehem had, according to the time-honored 

 practice, gone to fishing for cod, but had been interrupted by an armed 

 vessel and by tho " company's ships" (the Pallisser and Labradore), and 

 their catch all taken away from them save what their actual necessities 

 required. This was done under the pretence that the whole coast was 

 patented to "the company," and by virtue of orders issued by Hugh 

 Pallisser, " governor of Newfoundland, Anticosti, Magdalenes, and Lab- 

 radore." Pallisser's proclamation, which bore date of April 3d, 17G6, 

 specified that all British subjects whaling in that vicinity should choose 

 places on shore where they should land, cut up their blubber, and make 

 oil as they arrived, but not to select any place which was used in the 

 cod-fishery. Whalemen from the plantations might take whales on those 

 coasts, but were only permitted to land on some unoccupied place within 

 the Gulf of St. Lawrence to cut up and try out their blubber; and it 

 was particularly specified that they were not to make use of any place 

 which was used by the British fishermen for the same or a similar pur- 

 pose. Complaint having been made of the provincial whalemen in 

 regard to their waste interfering with the cod-fishery, they were enjoined 

 that they must carry the carcasses of the whales at least three leagues 

 from the shore. No fishermen from the plantations were to be allowed 

 to winter on Labrador. And then Capt. John Hamilton, "of H. M. 

 sloop of war Merlin, Lieut. Gov. of Labradore," &c, issued his procla- 

 mation : " This is to give Notice to all Whalers from the Plantations, 

 that they are allowed to fish for Whales only, on the Coast of Labradore, 

 that if they are found to have any other Fish on Board, the Fish will be 

 seized, and they excluded the Benefit of Whale-fishery this season : and 

 on no Pretence to trade with the Indians ; whatever they shall purchase 

 will be confiscated, and after this Notice their Vessels liable to be 

 seized," &c, &c. Capt. Hamilton's decree bore the date of June 25, 

 1766. 



The result of these arbitrary measures was that the whalemen left 

 those seas and went off the banks. The close of the season witnessed the 

 return of the whaling fleet with but indifferent success.* Naturally 

 those interested (and this included the wealthiest merchants and the 



* The Boston News-Letter mentions the arrival of Capt. Peter Wells at that port from 

 whaling August 18, 1766. Under date of October 2, the News-Letter says: "Since 

 our last a Number of Vessels have arrived from Whaling. They have not been suc- 

 cessful generally. One of them viz: Capt. Clark on Thursday Morning last discover- 

 ing a Spermaceti Whale near George's Banks, mann'd his Boat, and gave Chase to her, 



