336 THE ISLAND OF NANTUCKET. 



In 1715 six sloops were engaged in this fishery from 

 Nantucket. Five years after this, Paul Starbuck, in 

 the ship u Hanover," William Chadder, master, made 

 the first shipment of oil from Nantucket to England, 

 the vessel sailing from Boston to London. 



In 1723 the Straight Wharf was built for the better 

 accommodation for the vessels which were demanded 

 by the necessities of trade and fishing 



In 1730 twenty-five whaling vessels of from thirty- 

 eight to fifty tons' burden each were owned at Nan- 

 tucket; the returns being about 3,700 barrels of oil, 

 worth £3,200. 



It was not far from the year 172G that the high- 

 water mark of shore whaling was reached at Nan- 

 tucket. In that year eighty-six whales were taken by 

 boats from the shore. From that time this mode of 

 whaling declined, and that of carrying on the pursuit 

 by means of vessels increased. As the boats had 

 been manned in part by Indians, so the crews of the 

 vessels contained many aborigines. 



In 1732 Davis Strait was visited by whalemen, 

 probably from Cape Cod, and we may be sure that 

 the seamen of Nantucket did not long delay following 

 this example. It is difficult to prove, however, at 

 what date trips to that locality commenced. Among 

 the entries and clearances at Boston in 1737 are sev- 

 eral to and from the strait. Among the names are 

 many familiar to Nantucket. In 1745 our people 

 loaded a vessel with oil and sent her direct to Eng- 

 land. From this beginning grew a trade that eventu- 

 ally became world-wide, — France, Russia, Spain, the 

 nations bordering on the shores of the Mediterranean, 



