338 THE ISLAND OF NANTUCKET. 



under the mos,t discouraging circumstances. No com- 

 munity in the colonies was so hard pressed as was that 

 of Nantucket. The colonial government was utterly 

 powerless to protect them, and the island itself was 

 indefensible, even had the people been disposed to 

 protect themselves. By far the larger portion of the 

 population were of the sect of Friends, and abhorred 

 war as a matter of Religious faith. All provisions, 

 fuel, clothing, the outfits for their vessels, everything 

 that was needed for their sustenance, had to be brought 

 to the island; if they imported nothing, they must per- 

 ish; if they procured their supplies from colonial ports, 

 they traded with the "rebels, and the British seized 

 their vessels; if they got their supplies in foreign mar- 

 kets, they were smugglers, and they became a prey to 

 colonial armed vessels and boats. Thus they struggled 

 through the terrible seven years of war. Realizing the 

 straits to which the islanders were reduced, the colo- 

 nial government relaxed the rigors of their laws as 

 .much as was possible, and beyond a doubt closed 

 their eyes to many things which, under other circum- 

 stances, they would have punished. 



It would be extremely interesting, did space permit, 

 to follow closely the history of the fishery during the 

 Kevolution, but the limits assigned to this article makes 

 such a narration impossible. 



At the earliest moment after peace had been de- 

 clared, when safety rendered it expedient, the ship 

 " Bedford," Capt. William Mooers, with a load of 

 four hundred and eighty-seven butts of oil, was de- 

 spatched to London, and to this ship belongs the 



