ARRIVAL AT NANTUCKET 7 



out of the catching of fish. Then they found a whale in 

 one of the harbours and kept it imprisoned there until 

 their blacksmith had fashioned a crude harpoon. Promp- 

 ted by the Indians they harassed and killed it, and sold the 

 oil which they extracted from its overcoat of blubber. 

 Other whales were killed and the oil extracted. With all 

 their Quaker instincts for grasping new opportunities they 

 were quick to realise that here was a commodity that 

 could win them their daily bread. True, neighbouring 

 islands such as Martha's Vineyard and Long Island and 

 places such as Cape Cod and New Bedford were a step 

 ahead now and then; but whaling was to be their staple 

 industry, of that they were sure, and they pursued it with 

 all the vigour of their pioneering natures. 



At first they were content to catch whales from boats 

 launched from their island beaches. Then, as the world 

 demand for whale oil increased and they found that the 

 seas beyond their shores appeared to possess a limitless 

 stock of whales, they built small sloops and took them 

 into the deeper waters of the Atlantic. These sloops 

 were only of thirty or forty tons burden at first and they 

 carried only two whale boats, one of which was a spare. 



Such was the island upon which the boy gazed as he 

 wondered whether to entrust himself to its hospitality, if 

 indeed there was any to be found there. Perhaps the 

 mate was right, perhaps the mainland would offer some 

 place better than this. Yet somehow the very bleakness 

 of the scene seemed in harmony with his present mood. 



T will see what it is like,' he told himself and descended 

 the gangplank. 



