204 MARINE MAMMALS OF THE NOBTH-WESTEEN COAST. 



the coast. As early as 1712 or 1713, sloops of thirty-eight to fifty tons were fitted 

 out from Nantucket, for voyages east to Ne\vfoundknd and south to the Gulf 

 Stream. They had two boats each, and were manned with a crew of twelve or 

 thirteen men, half of the number being natives.* In some instances the whiole 

 company, except the captain, were Indiana; and the ''Nattick" language was, in a 

 great measure, adopted on board. f With these vessels, thus manned, and with the 

 addition of an occasional representative of the African race, the fishery was success- 

 fully pursued up to 1746, J when larger ones, schooners and brigs, from one hun- 

 dred to one hundred and thirty tons, were- employed. These more capacious whaling 

 craft stretched across the Atlantic, in their voyages, to the coast of Africa, traversed 

 the Banks of Newfoundland, and contended with the ice of Baffin's and Hudson's 

 bays, in search of their mammoth prey, and in open seasons reached the latitude 

 of 81°. 



According to Ricketson's History of New Bedford, the founder of that city, 

 Joseph Russell, Esq., was the first to engage in the whale-fishery at that point, 

 which dates back to 1755. In 1765, he, with others, employed in the enterprise 

 the sloops Nancy, Polly, Greyhound, and Hannah, each of which was about fifty tons 

 burden. Their cruises ~were extended during the milder months of the year as far 

 south as the "Capes of Virginia." In these primitive voyages, the oil was not 

 extracted from the blubber until the vessel's return, when the hoy -like craft was 

 hauled broadside upon the shore, and an ox -cart was the means of transporting 



* Pitkin a mentions that the American whal- spouted thick blood, with irons in them, and 



ing-fleet, in 1731, amounted to thirteen hundred drags ("droges") fastened to them, which are 



tons. — Putins on Commerce, p. 43. thick boards about fourteen inches square." It 



f It has been stated by several writers that was considered presumption to attempt to capt- 



the Amexicaii colonists followed up the Indian ure the huge creatures "in small boats, and by 



mode of capturing the whale, by first striking the aid of lines, from the end of which was 



it -svith a harpoon having a log of wood attached attached the harpoon, by which they could draw 



to it by a line, even as late as the commence- themselves to the harf)Ooned whale whenever 



ment of the Sperm Whale fishery. It is quoted they wiahed to destroy it with the lance." We 



that the Hon. Paul Dudley stated: "Our peo- are of the opinion, however, that the colonial 



pie formerly used to kill the whale near the whalers did not follow the Indian mode of 



shore, but now they go off to sea in sloops and whale - fishing ; for it is well known that the 



whale-hoats. Sometimes the whale is killed by Biitish whalers, as eai-ly as 1670, used the line 



a single stroke, and yet at other times she will attached to the boat, and, so far as the drags 



hold the whalemen in play near half a day to- or "droges" are concerned, they are used at 



cjciher, with their lances; and sometimes they the present day in cases of emergency, 

 will get away after they have been lanced and % Hunt's Merchants' Magazine, vol. iii, p. 356. 



