HISTOKY OF THE AMERICAN WHALE FISHERY. 101 



the fleet to suffer from the depredations of such letters-of-marque as 

 they were able to equip were three Atlantic whalers from Provincetown, 

 the John Adams, Mermaid, and Parana, the first two schooners and 

 the last a brig. They were captured when about 90 miles south of 

 Balize, within the period of two hours, by the privateer Calhoun, form- 

 erly the tug-boat W. H. Webb, of New York. The vessels with their 

 cargoes, about 215 barrels of sperm oil, were burned, and the sixty- 

 three men composing their crews were taken to New Orleans and there 

 left to shift for themselves.* 



Several rebel privateers were soon cruising on the Atlantic whaling- 

 grounds, and in the track of outward and homeward bouud Pacific 

 whalers. They adopted a device to ensnare their victim^, which can 

 but be severely reprobated as inhuman. Capturing a vessel they waited 

 until night had fallen upon the scene, and then, firing her, they pounced 

 upon the unfortunates who, obeying the natural impulses of humanity, 

 bore down for the burning craft to save the lives they believed to be 

 endangered. In this way several whale-ships fell victims to this atro- 

 cious device.t 



Naturally, with these risks staring them in the face, the owners were 

 in no haste to refit such of their returning vessels as evaded rebel 

 cruisers. Ships were sold, transferred to the merchant service, or laid 

 up to await a change in affairs. Some in the Pacific were put under the 

 Hawaiian flag. Of those sold, forty were purchased by the United 

 States and formed the larger portion of the two famous stone fleets, 

 which, in 1861, were sunk off the harbors of Charleston and Savannah to 

 prevent the entrance of blockade-runners and the ingress and escape of 

 privateers. $ 



* In 1861. 



tThus were captured and burned by the Alabama the ships Ben j ami u Tucker, Osceo- 

 la, Virginia, and Elisha Dunbar, of New Bedford, Ocean of Sandwich, Alert of New 

 London, and schooners Altamaha of Sippican and Weather Gage of Provincetown, all 

 of whom, attracted by the burning of the Ocean Rover of Mattapoisett, hastened to 

 rescue the shipmates whose lives they believed to be imperilled. 



t Among these vessels were several famous China and European merchantmen. The 

 Herald, formerly of Boston, was nearly one hundred years old. (F. C. S., in Boston 

 Advertiser, December 20, 1871.) Another famous ship was the Corea, which was 

 formerly an armed store-ship belonging to the English navy, and came to this country 

 during the Revolution loaded with stores. A storm arising, she sought shelter in 

 Long Island Sound. This fact soon became known to our Yankee fishermen, and 

 they determined to capture her, and accordingly about a hundred of them, well armed, 

 left New Bedford in a small vessel for that purpose. Coming within sight of the 

 Corea all hands, except four men and a boy, were sent below, the vessel soon reached 

 the fishing-ground, and, to all appearance, the five on deck were soon engaged in in- 

 nocent piscatorial employments. The Corea ran down toward them and fired a gun, 

 at which summons our fishermen stood for the storeship, and coming within hail were 

 ordered alongside. Grumblingly they obeyed and were despoiled of their fish, while 

 the Corea's crew crowded around curious to see the prize. At this juncture one of the 

 captive fishermen threw some fish out of one of the ports upon the schooner's deck 

 and at the signal the secreted men swarmed up from below. Before the astonished 



