CHAP. XL.] WHALE FISHERY. 357 



glish whaler, as they boil the blubber at home, 

 whereas the Americans boil it in a huge cauldron on 

 deck, and after staying out three years, return with 

 the oil of ninety whales in one ship. Our fishery in 

 the Pacific is becoming a most important nursery for 

 seamen, giving occupation to about 20,000 men, 

 which would enable us at any moment to man a 

 powerful fleet. The possession of California is 

 therefore much coveted by us, because the port of 

 San Francisco is the only one in the Northern Pacific 

 not exposed to the west wind, or blocked up by a bar 

 of sand, such as that which renders the mouth of the 

 Columbia river impassable to large ships. It is not 

 territory but a sea-port w r e need, and this advantage 

 a war with Mexico may give us.&quot; 



There was besides much characteristic conversation 

 in the cars, about constructing a railway 4000 miles 

 long from Washington to the Columbia river ; and 

 some of the passengers were speculating on the hope 

 of seeing in their lifetime a population of 15,000 souls 

 settled in Oregon and California. A variety of plans 

 was also freely discussed for crossing the isthmus from 

 the Gulf of Mexico into the Pacific, so as to avoid 

 the long and dangerous voyage round Cape Horn. 

 A ship-canal across the isthmus of Tehuantepec, 

 135 miles in length, was alluded to as the favourite 

 scheme ; and the expediency of forcing Mexico to 

 cede a right of way was spoken of as if the success 

 of their campaign was certain. 



It is the fashion for travellers in the New World 

 to dwell so much on the chewing of tobacco, that 

 I may naturally be expected to say something of this 



