154 MAMMALS OF BERMUDA. 
other was struck, about 14 miles to the south of David’s Head, of the 
length of 40 feet. One boat alone attacked this whale, and after some 
Alifficulty the crew succeeded in killing it and towed it the whole way 
to Saint George’s Whale House, a feat which occupied no less than sev- 
enteen hours. It was followed by a large number of sharks, which cut it 
considerably. This whale appears to dislike the shallow waters within 
soundings, and therefore has to be sought for almost out of sight of 
land. Some are captured off the islands occasionally by passing Amer- 
ican whalers. Ambergris, the well-known product of this species, is 
alluded to in the very earliest accounts of the islands. 
In the commission of Governor Moore, granted to him by the Ber- 
muda Company on his entering upon his official duties in the year 1612, 
,we find the following: 
“Forasmuch as we cannot expect any greate returne of comodities 
by this shipp, by reason of her short staye yet we advise and pray you 
to be as pruident as you may, to send us some fruits of your labors to | 
give encouragement to the adventurers, to make the more speedie and 
better supplie vnto you, especially of Ambergreece weh wee doubt not 
but you shall finde readye gathered by those three who were left by the 
last shipp, or ells by the industrye of suche of yo’r own companie as 
you shall employe to seek for yt, for whose better encouragement we 
are contented to allowe for everye once (Troye weight) that you shall 
receaue from any of them, the some of thirteene shillinges fowre pence, 
but yf you shall finde any man to goe about to conceale yt and appro- 
priate yt to his owne prticuler use, then you are to seaze upon yt, as 
you forfeite to the vndertakers, and inflict such other punishment upon 
the offenders as the qualitie of these offences shall deserve.” ° 
In the Laws of the Bermuda Company enacted in 1622, we find a pro- 
tective clause concerning this commodity : 
“There is likewise and shall be forever reserved to the Company a 
fifth part of all the Ambergreece that shall be found; and the rest shall 
be divided equally betweene the finder and the owner of the land where 
the same is found; save that three shillings four pence upon every ounce 
of the said Ambergreece shall be allowed to the Governour of the said 
Islands. And whosoever shall not discover to the said Governour and 
Sheriffe and some one other of the Councell, the true quantity of the 
Ambergreece so found, within five days after the finding of the same, 
shall forfeit his owne intire part to the Company, and be subject to such 
other punishment as the Generall Court shall award.” 
