G8 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



dated the importance of tbis industry, were practically disregarded.* 

 It is difficult to calculate bow much the Americau whale-fishery was 

 affected by this failure to act on tbis suggestion of Mr. Adams. Many 

 of these captains and men, and others captured at other times duriug 

 the war, bad at its close sailed so long from British ports that the extra- 

 ordinary inducements held out by the English, and the depression in 

 their business in the United States, immediately succeeding the close of 

 the war, operated to transfer to that country their skill and, measurably? 

 their capital. 



In the years 1778-'79 the English navy made several forays upon the 

 sea-coast towns of New England, destroying much property at Warren, 

 Ii. L, Dartmouth, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket in Massachusetts.! 

 Indeed, these predatory raids were frequent throughout the war, and 

 liable to occur at any time, consequently the unfortunate inhabitants 

 were kept in a continual ferment. During the same time the govern- 

 ment of France was continually intriguing for the exclusive possession 

 of the North American fisheries. On the 6th of February, 1778, a treaty 

 of amity and commerce was arranged between France and the United 

 States. Upon this point each side was to retain the exclusive right to 

 its own. The Americans conceded to the French the rights reserved by 

 the treaties of Utrecht $ and Paris, § even to the French interpretation 

 of them, which were the right to fish upon the Banks, and the exclusive 

 use of one-half the shores of Newfoundland upon which to dry their 



* An exception to the general apathy in this respect occurred late in the fall or early 

 in the winter of 1776, when boats from the Alfred, man-of-war, were sent ashore at 

 Canso and destroyed the whaling interest there, burning all the materials for that in- 

 dustry, together with all the oil stores with their contents. 



t " Return of vessols and stores destroyed on Acushnet River the 5th of September, 

 1773 : 8 sail of large vessels, from 200 to 300 tons, most of them prizes ; 6 armed ves- 

 sels, carrying from 10 to 16 guns ; a number of sloops and schooners of inferior size, 

 amounting in all to 70, besides whale-boats and others; amongst the prizes were three 

 taken by Count D'Estaign's fleet ; 26 store-houses at Bedford, several at McPherson's 

 Wharf, Crans Mills, and Fairhaven ; these were filled with very great quantifies of 

 ruin, sugar, melasses, coffee, tobacco, cotton, tea, medicines, gunpowder, sail-cloth, 

 cordage, &c. ; two large rope-walks. 



"At Falmouth, in the Vineyard Sound, the 10th of Septembe - , 1778: 2 sloops and a 

 schooner taken by the galleys, 1 loaded with staves ; 1 sloop burnt. 



" In Old Town harbour, Martha's Vineyard : 1 brig of 150 tons burden, burnt by the 

 Scorpion ; 1 schooner of 70 tons burdeu, hurnt by ditto; 23 whale-boats taken or de- 

 stroyed ; a quantity of plank taken. 



"At Holmes's Hole, Martha's Vineyard : 4 vessels, with several boats, taken or de- 

 stroyed; a salt-work destroyed, and a considerable quantity of salt taken." — (Ricket- 

 son's New Bedford, p. 282.) 



At Sag Harbor, L. I., property was taken or destroyed to a large amount ; Newport 

 suffered greatly ; Nantucket lost twelve or fourteen vessels, oil, stores, &c, to the 

 value of £4,000 sterling. Warren, R. I., suffered during the war to the extent of 1,090 

 toes ot shipping, among them two vessels loaded with oil, and a large amount of other 

 property. Sag Harbor also lost one or more vessels by capture. 



t April 11, 1713. 



§ February 10, 1763. 



