972 MR. C. R. MARKHAM ON THE WHALE-FISHERY OF [DcC. 13, 



1536. Two large whales and one small. 

 1538. Six whales killed. 



1542. Two whalea billed. 



1543. One whale wounded by the Lequeitio people, but captured at Motrico. 

 Divided between the two towns. 



1543. Two whales killed, mother and yonng. The Mayor-domo working 



all day at the whalebone, and received 2 rials. 

 1546. February 24 a whale killed in front of St. Nicholas Island. The 



bones yielded 9i ducados. 

 1550. Two whales killed. 

 1570. One whale killed. 

 1676. One whale killed. 

 1578. One whale killed. 

 1580. Three and a young one. 



1608. One whale killed. 



1609. Three whales killed. 



1611. Two small whales killed, in concert with the men of Andarroa, 

 which led to a law suit. 



1617. One whale knied. 



1618. One whale killed. 



1619. One whale killed. 



1622. One wliale killed with its young. 



1649. Two whales killed. 



1650. Two whales killed. 



1657. Two whales killed and two young. 

 1661. One whale killed. 



In the "libro de fabrica " including the years from 1731 to 1781 

 there is no mention of a whale, nor in the two succeeding books. 

 The sailors went long voyages in search of them. But in 1712, 

 fifty years after the last entry in the books, there were boats and 

 apparatus for catching whales. In 1 740 it was said that there were 

 no sailors in Lequeitio, all having gone on long whaling voyages. 

 In a record of a marriage at Lequeitio on July 15th, 1712, among 

 the goods of the bride are mentioned a whale-boat with sails, lines, 

 harpoons, and apparatus complete. Of the bridegroom it is said 

 that " be was clothed decently, having four coats of London cloth, 

 a good chest to keep his clothes in and another for travelling, a 

 mattrass, pillow, and blanket, and needful clothes for going to sea." 

 So that between them they were well prepared for a whaling expe- 

 dition. 



These entries at Lequeitio indicate that during tlie sixteenth cen- 

 tury the whales were abundant ; for if this was the catch of only 

 one village out of at least twenty along the coast, we may fairly 

 multiply it by at least ten for the average yield of the fishery. 



In the books of the " Cofradia de Marchantes" of Zarauz there are 

 similar records, from which it appears that between the years 1637 

 and 1801 as many as .55 whales were killed by the Zarauz people, 

 whose prowess was known throughout the Cantabrian coast. There 

 is one noteworthy tradition at Zarauz, to the effect that two young 

 sailors, without any help, chased, harpooned, and killed a large whale, 

 and brought it safely to the beach. This deed is immortalized on im- 

 perishable stone. Over the portal of a house in Zarauz, no. 13 Calle 

 de Azara, there is an inscription, now in the greater part rendered 

 illegible by time, but with letters of the shape and style used in the 



