THE AMERICAN WHALE-FISHERY. 203 



These remarks show that shore -whaling was pursued at the Cape previous to 

 1690. About 1748, the whales, having been driven from the contiguous shores, 

 were pursued farther seaward in sloops and schooners of fifty tons, each of which 

 had a company of thirteen men, and lowered two boats in the chase. In 1765, the 

 whale-fishery from Boston and adjacent ports amounted to one hundred small 

 vessels,* which cruised as far to the northward and eastward as the Straits of Belle 

 Isle, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and to the Western Islands. But at the island of 

 Nantucket, or among the Nantucket men, originated the grand whaling enterprise 

 which has reached every accessible point around the world, f The colonists who 

 had come hither to settle were, like all other New Englanders of their time, made 

 up of those characteristic spirits, who believed in God, and maintained the right 

 of worshiping Him according to the dictates of their own convictions. Moreover, 

 they were inured to frugal habits, but were alive to industry and adventure. Their 

 first whaling from the island was in boats from the shores, which occurred as 

 early as 1690. J A tall spar was erected, upon which the whalemen in turn 

 ascended to watch- for whales. As soon as the spout of the animal was seen in 

 the distance, the signal was given, when immediately the boats were manned, 

 launched through the surf, and with sturdy stroke they plied their rudely fashioned 

 oars, and away flew the primitive whaling squadron, which was soon invisible from 

 the island hamlet. The capture being made, the prize was towed to the beach and 

 stripped of its blubber, which was transported in carts to the try -houses, where 

 the oil was extracted and put into casks ready for market. The shore -whaling 

 continued for over fifty years, but eventually it was abandoned, for the same reason 

 that the Spitzbergen and Smeerenberg fisheries were — the scarcity of whales near 



* Annals of Salem, vol. ii, p. 225. navigation, which they have an opportunity of 



f J. Hector St. John, who published a book practicing on the spot. They learn the great 



in 1793, entitled Letters from an American Farmer, and useful art of working a ship in all the dif- 



gives many interesting facts concerning the Nan- ferent situations which the sea and wind so oft- 



tucket people and the whale -fisheiy of the pe- en require; and surely there can not be a better 



riod, from which we extract a few paragraphs. or a more useful school of that kind in the 



Relative to the children, he says : world. Then they go gradually through every 



"At school they learn to read, and to write station of rowers, steersmen, and harpooners ; 



a good hand, until they are twelve years old ; thus they learn to attack, to pursue, to over- 



they are then in general put apprentices to the take, to cut, to dress their huge game : and 



cooper's trade, which is the second essential after having performed several such voyages, 



branch of business followed here ; at fourteen, and perfected themselves in this business, they 



they are sent to sea, where in their leisure are fit either for the counting-house or chase." 

 hours their companions teach them the art of J Hunt's Merchants' Magazine, vol. iii, p. 364, 



