WHALING. 339 



honor of having been the first vessel to hoist the 

 American flag in any British port.* 



Recovery from the disasters of the war was slow. 

 The principal market for oil was in England; and to 

 shut off the importation from America, Parliament 

 passed an alien duty of <£18 sterling a ton. Although 

 the General Court of Massachusetts, in response to the 

 petitions of the people of Nantucket, declared a bounty, 

 it did not permanently remedy the trouble. So heavy 

 was the pressure brought to bear upon Nantucket by 

 the adverse circumstances immediately succeeding the 

 Revolution, that large numbers of her hardy mariners 

 and wealthy merchants were compelled to leave the 

 home endeared to them by so many happy associa- 

 tions, and seek in foreign countries the recompense 

 for their toil and their investments that they were 

 unable to obtain in the United States. Some of them 

 settled in Nova Scotia, some in England, and some in 

 France. In the English and French fisheries there 

 sailed a large number of officers and men who once 

 found a home on Nantucket. 



Following closely upon the stagnation resulting from 

 the Revolution came the troubles with France, in 

 which Nantucket suffered to the extent of nearly 

 $150,000. Then again came complications with Eng- 

 land early in the nineteenth century. Scarcely had a 

 slight gain been made, and the business again become 

 remunerative, when the war of 1812 occurred. A large 



*F. C. Sanford, Esq., informs the compiler that this was Feb. 

 3, 1783; and that she arrived at Nantucket from London, May 

 31, 1783, her entry at the custom-house at the time being in 

 his possession. 



