April 1, 1887.] 



BCIENG^E^ 



323 



Humpback whales are found within the parallels 

 of 60° north and 70'' south. They are taken chiefly 

 in shallow water within certain bays and along 

 the coast. The island of Trinidad and Gulf of 

 Para, also the Cape Verde Islands, and the African 

 coast from 3*^ to 7* south latitude, and about the 

 West Indies, are the principal grounds in the 

 Atlantic. Some years these whales are quite 

 abundant along the New England coast and on 

 the off-shore fishing-banks. 



In the Pacific these whales are found along the 

 South American coast, particularly in the Bay of 

 Panama and in the Gulf of Guayaquil , and along 

 the Californian coast. They are also found as far 

 north as the Aleutian Islands, where the natives 

 capture them. 



The California gray whale, or devil-fish (Rhachi- 

 anectes glaucus), is found only in. the North 

 Pacific, and is an object of pursuit by the shore 

 stations established along that coast. 



Finback and sulphur-bottom whales are quite 

 universally distributed ; but, their blubber yielding 

 comparatively little oil, they are not often cap- 

 tured except by shore parties along the Californian 

 coast, at Cape Cod in New England, on the north- 

 ern coast of Norway, and at Iceland. 



Bowhead whales, as stated above, are con- 

 fined to icy waters. The Atlantic-Arctic fishing- 

 grounds are in Davis Strait, Cumberland Inlet, 

 and Hudson Bay. American vessels formerly 

 cruised as far north as Pond's Bay, in about lati- 

 tude 73*^, but they now seldom go beyond latitude 

 GS''. Scotch whaling- steamers, however, cruise 

 as far north as 75°, their northern range being 

 limited only by dangers from ice. 



The Pacific- Arctic resorts of the bowhead are 

 in Bering Sea and north of Bering Strait. About 

 three-fourths of the whale-oil and nearly all 

 the whalebone landed by American whaling-ves- 

 sels is taken by the North Pacific fleet, so called, 

 cruising north of Bering Strait and in the 

 Okhotsk Sea. The vessels in this fishery are the 

 largest and best equipped in the whaling-service. 

 In 1879 or 1880, steamers were first used in this 

 fishery, and now about one-fourth of the fleet are 

 of this class. They can push their way with less 

 danger than sailing-vessels amid the ice-floes, and, 

 as a rule, thereby secure a greater catch. The 

 Arctic vessels have their headquarters at San Fran- 

 cisco. They leave for the north about March 1, 

 in season to meet the ice in Bering Sea, and to 

 push gradually northward with it. Usually about 

 May 1 to 10 a few whales are overtaken on their 

 northward migrations, and as fast as the ice per- 

 mits, the vessels crowd their way in pursuit. Un- 

 til about June 1 the fleet cruises along the Sibe- 

 rian coast, capturing as many whales as possi- 



ble. Those which are secured form only the 

 'fag-end' of the ' herd,' most of the whales hav- 

 ing moved northward before the vessels could 

 overtake them. As soon as the ice allows, the 

 vessels push their way through the Strait, ever 

 alert to catch the whales which are hurrying to 

 the far north. From the middle of June till the 

 latter part of July few whales are taken. During 

 this time, while waiting for the return of the bow- 

 heads, the whalers devote their time to capturing 

 walrus, which are valuable for both ivory and oil. 

 About the beginning of August the fleet moves 

 eastward and northward to Point Barrow and be- 

 yond, capturing whales wherever they can be 

 found, though but very few are seen until the 

 southward migration begins, in the latter part of 

 the month. From this time till the latter part of 

 September or early in October, when the season 

 closes, there is great excitement and eagerness to 

 secure as many whales as possible. 



The early departure of the animals to inaccessible 

 regions among the ice, and the anxious weeks spent 

 in awaiting their return, make this ground one of 

 the most exciting regions that whalemen can find, 

 and the stirroundings are of more than usual in- 

 terest. Nothing can exceed the daring and pluck 

 of the whalemen in their endeavors to search out 

 and capture their prey. Forgetful of siurrounding 

 dangers, they pursue the spouting animal far up 

 among the ice-floes ; and many a vessel has been 

 crushed to pieces by the ice as she was tracking 

 out a whale. Anxious to secure full fares, they 

 remain amid the freezing waters until early win- 

 ter stares them in the face, when they plough their 

 way homeward. Several disasters have overtaken 

 the fleet in their zeal to catch the whale, as in 

 1871, when thirty-five noble craft were left at 

 anchor in sight of certain destruction ; the crews, 

 after arduous labor, saving themselves with their 

 boats. 



Not always are the whalemen thus fortunate in 

 escaping with their lives. In 1879 two vessels be- 

 came separated from the fleet, and were never 

 after heard from. Nearly every year one or more 

 vessels are caught in the ice and ground to splin- 

 ters. In Hudson Bay and Cumberland Inlet, also, 

 the vessels are exposed to dangers from ice. From 

 1846 to 1880, eighteen vessels were wrecked in those 

 waters. The fleet is not as large as that cruis- 

 ing north of Bering Strait, nor are the vessels 

 generally so large and so well equipped. Several 

 vessels have passed the winter ' locked in the ice,' 

 in Hudson Bay or in Cumberland Inlet, and have 

 thereby taken advantage of the early and late 

 weeks of the whaling-season, besides securing 

 bear, musk-ox, and seal- skins during the winter 

 months. 



