BY W. LODEWYK CROAVTHEK, D.S.O., M.B. 141 



tended with boats' crews and no ships, the industry devel- 

 oped until in 1834 there were many sea-going ships em- 

 ployed around the Tasmanian coast, and occasionally in 

 New Zealand waters. Although primarily fitted out for 

 the Black whaling, naturally if the chance arose the more 

 valuable Sperm whale would be taken. 



From the Forties, however, the ships were fitted for 

 Blue Water cruising, with the Sperm as their objective 

 ajid not the Right whale. Occasional references to the 

 Spemi whaling are found in the early V.D.L. publications, 

 rarely, however, with much detail. 



The first ship to have rounded Cape Horn and taken 

 whales in the Pacific appears to have' been a ship from 

 New Bedford (U.S.A.) in the year 1790 (Beddoe, Booh of 

 Whales). 



In 1803 the "Albion," with Bowen's expedition on 

 "board, took three Sperm whales off the East Coast, and in 

 the siicceeding year the "Alexander" took Right whales in 

 the estuary of the Derwent. 



In 1816 the English whaler "Adamant" refits at 

 Hobart Town before leaving for the whaling ground. 

 {H. T. Gazette, 1816.) 



The years between 1816 and 1830, as already shown, 

 were devoted by the Hobart Town ships almost entirely 

 to local Blarl- whale fishing. The Editor of the Gazette 

 in the issue of September Is'i; expresses the hope that the 

 profits of this successful year will induce V.D.L. busi- 

 ness men to take up the pursuit of the Sperm whale, which 

 te realises to be the mainstay of whaling. [H. T . Gazette, 

 September 1st, 1827.) 



The tendency to sail oversea from V.D.L. coasts cul- 

 minated in 1830 with the despatch of the "Clarence" to 

 the Sperm fishing, the first Tasmanian ship to do so. 

 (Ross, H. T. Almanack, 1830.) 



By 1831 the oversieas movement had gained more 

 impetus. Ross states (H. T. Almanack, 1831): — "Several 

 "additions have been made to our Colonial shipping during 

 "the past year, and the present spirit for embarking in 

 "the Sperm Whale Fishing is likely to increase still more. ' 



In addition to the "Deveron" already mentioned the 

 following ships are found on the register as having arrived 

 back to Hobart Town during the year : — 



January 1st, "Clarence," Capt. Lindsay, from N.Z., 

 Sperm Oil. 



January 24th, "Caroline," Capt. Smith, from Whaling 

 voyage, Sperm Oil. 



