74 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



tion the people were in, exposed to the inroads of English and Ameri- 

 cans, with neither side able or willing to protect them against the other, 

 and powerless, because of the defenseless character of the island and 

 the religious convictions of the vast majority of the inhabitants, to suit- 

 ably guard their own firesides. They urged that people in continental 

 towns, where the broad country opened to them a place for retreat, could 

 have but faint ideas of the suffering of those who were constantly liable 

 to hostile invasion and whose insular position precluded all thoughts 

 of escape, and they indignantly resented the calumnies which had been 

 spread broadcast through the State in regard to alleged actions of theirs. 

 Eegarding the prosecution of their business, they said : 



"We now beg leave to throw a few hints before you respecting the 

 Whalefishery, as a matter of great importance to this Commonwealth. 

 This place before the War, was the First in that branch of business, & em- 

 ployed more than One Hundred Sail of good Vessels therein, which fur- 

 nish'd a support not only for Five Thousand Inhabitants here, but for 

 Thousands elsewhere, no place so well adapted for the good of the 

 Community at large as Nantucket, it being destitute of every material 

 necessary in the Business, and the Inhabitants might be called Factors 

 for the Continent rather than Principals ; as the war encreased the 

 Fishery ceased, until necessity obliged us to make trial the last Year, 

 with about about seventeen sail of Vessels, Two of which were captured & 

 carried to New York,* & one was burnt the others made saving voyages. 

 The present Year we employed about Twenty Four sail in the same 

 business, which have mostly compleated their Voyages, but with little 

 success; & a great loss will ensue ; this we apprehend is greatly owing 

 to the circumscribed situation of the Fishery ; we are now fully sensible 

 that it can no longer be pursued by us, unless we have free liberty both 

 from Great Britain & America to fish without interruption ; As we now 

 find One of our Vessels is captured & carried to New York, but without 

 any Oil on board, and Two others have lately been taken & carried into 

 Boston & Salem, under pretense of having double papers on board, 

 (Nevertheless we presume the captors will not say that any of our 

 Whalemen have gone into New "York during the season as such a charge 

 would have no foundation in Truth). And if due attention is not paid 

 to this valuable branch, which if it was viewed in all its parts, perhaps 

 would appear the most advantageous, of any possess'd by this Govern- 

 ment, it will be intirely lost, if the War continues : We view it with 

 regret & mention it with concern, & from the gloomy prospect now be- 

 fore us, we apprehend many of the Inhabitants must quit the Island, 

 not being able even to provide necessaries for the approaching Winter: 



esting details. Many of the custom-records of New Bedford were destroyed by fire in 

 1825 ; the corresponding documents of Newport, prior to 1779, were carried away by 

 the English, and the vessel containing them being sunk, they were, when recovered, in 

 a very damaged condition ; the similar records of Sag Harbor (the older ones) were 

 stored in a damp place, and are mildewed and illegible. 



*New York, at this time, was in possession of the English. 



