88 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



market for their chief staple, several of the people of Nantucket removed 

 to the vicinity of Halifax, in Nova Scotia. There, in 1786 and 1787, they 

 settled, building dwellings, wharves, stores, manufactories for sperm -can- 

 dles and such other structures as were connected with their fishery, and 

 calling their new settlement Dartmouth.* There they carried on the 

 pursuit for several years prosperously, and gave promise of consider- 

 able commercial importance. But the disintegration which commenced 

 at Nantucket continued at Dartmouth, and just as the settlement seemed 

 about to become thrifty and important it began to become divided, pieces 

 again split off, and the village, as a whaling-port, soon became a thiug 

 of the past. Those who were the earliest to remove from Nantucket 

 soon grew uneasy of their new location, and having greater inducements 

 offered them if they removed to England, again migrated, and settled in 

 Milford Haven, from whence for many years they carried on the busi- 

 ness with very considerable success. The parent died in giving birth 

 to the child; Milford Haven flourished, but at the expense of Dart- 

 mouth's existence. 



France did not view this transfer with indifference. The scheme for 

 the building up of the fishery at Dunkirk by emigration from Nantucket 

 having proven only partially successful,! it was desirable to inaugurate 

 some other measures to prevent further increase of the business in England. 

 A committee of gentlemen well informed in such matters was instructed 

 to investigate and report on the subject of encouragement of a general 

 commerce with the United States. It was evident that the American 

 whalemen could not be induced to leave their native country if they could 

 support themselves there. The natural inference was, if a market could 

 be opened to their products which would replace the one closed, they 

 would not emigrate. Accordingly upon this point the committee reported 

 in favor of an immediate abatement of the duty upon oil and a promise 

 of a further abatement after the year 1790. The letter of M. de Calounes 



* Works of Jefferson, ii, 518. Mr. Jefferson says, referring to a further kegira of 

 the islauders : " A vessel was already arrived from Halifax to Nantucket, to take off 

 some of those who proposed to remove ; two families had gone on board, and others 

 were going, when a letter was received there which had been written by Monsieur le 

 Marquis de Lafayette to a gentleman in Boston, aud transmitted by him to Nantucket. 

 The purport of the letter was, to dissuade their accepting the British proposals, aud to 

 assure them that their friends in France would endeavor to do something for them. 

 This instautly suspended their design ; not another went on board, and the vessel re- 

 turned to Halifax with ouly the families." In 17% Wm. Rotch & Son petitioned Con- 

 gress to remit the excess of duties and tonnage charged then on two whale-ships by 

 the collector of New Bedford, in consequence of their not being provided with United 

 States registers. These were ships which sailed from Nantucket iu 1787 and 1789, under 

 registers from the State of Massachusetts, and were used in the Dunkirk fishery, re- 

 turning to the United States iu 1794, some years after the National Government had 

 been iu operation. The committee which was appointed to consider the petition 

 reported favorably upon it, aud the prayer was granted. (State Papers, vii, p. 411.) 



t " Nine families only, of thirty-three persons in the whole, came to Dunkirk." — 

 (Jeffersou, ii, 519.) 



