1881.] THE WHALE-FISHERY OP THE BASQUE PROVINCES. 969 



1. On the Whale-Fishery of the Basque Provinces of Spain. 

 By Clements R. Markham, F.E.S. (Communicated 

 by Professor Flower.) 



[Eeceived NoTembev 14, 1881.] 



My attention was originally drawn to the Basque Whale-Fishery 

 by observing, during my study of Arctic literature, and especially 

 while editing the voyages of William Baffin, that the first English 

 whaling vessels were in the habit of shipping a boat's crew of 

 Basques to harpoon the whales. I was informed that a whale, 

 the Balcena biscayensis, had frequented the coasts of the Basque 

 provinces from time immemorial ; but that it had become nearly 

 extinct in the 17th century, when the Basques began to extend 

 their voyages further north and across the Arctic Circle. Hence the 

 Basques had l)ecome dexterous whale-fishers long before any other 

 European people had entered upon that perilous occupation. 



I fouiul that several naturalists had investigated the history of the 

 Biscayau whale, notably Eschricht and Reinhardt in Denmark, M. 

 Fischer in France, and Professor Flower in this country. Full in- 

 formation respecting these investigations is contained in Eschricht 

 and Reinhardt's memoir published by the Ray Society iu 1866 ; and 

 many interesting particulars have since been brought to light re- 

 specting the whale-fishery so far as it relates to the French Basques, 

 and to the ports of Bayonue, Biarritz, Guetary, St Jean de Luz, and 

 Ciboure. 



But in looking through the books and papers on the subject, a 

 list of which was kindly furnished to me by Professor Flower last 

 June, I did not find any particulars respecting the Spanish ports, 

 where the Basque sailors are more numerous than in France, and 

 inhabit a more extensive line of coast. I therefore thought it 

 possible that, by visiting those ports and making inquiries respecting 

 the literature of the provinces in which they are situated, and the 

 local traditions, I might be able to collect some farther information 

 touching the whale-fishery of the Basques. It has now been sug- 

 gested to me that such particulars as I have succeeded in bringing 

 together, from their bearing on the history of the Balcena bis- 

 cayensis, a nearly extinct animal, would be interesting to the Zoolo- 

 gical Society. I therefore have pleasure in communicating the 

 following notes on the subject. 



The coast which I personally visited this summer extends from the 

 French frontier to the Cabo de Penas, including the Basque provinces 

 of Guipuzcoa and Vizcaya, and the jnirely Spanish provinces of 

 Santander and the Asturias. It is for the most part bold and rocky, 

 with lofty cliffs of cretaceous limestone, having strata hove up at 

 great angles. Occasionally there is a stretch of sand, generally at 

 the mouths of rivers, and here and there a rocky little boat-harbour. 

 Forests of oak and chestnut clothe the mountains, with occasionally 

 open spaces of fern and heather and bushes of arbutus and myrtle. 



