THE SEAL AND WHALE FISHERY OF 1892. 85 



were secured. During September few whales were seen, and 

 none in such a position as to render pursuit possible. 



On the 6th October, off Cape Eglinton, the 'Nova Zembla' 

 came upon a great school of whales proceeding rapidly south- 

 wards ; the boats were out from morning till dark, and the 

 steamer followed them thirty miles without success, the weather 

 being very bad. On the third day after, the whales were again 

 overtaken off Cape Kater, but for three days the storm raged and 

 snow fell heavily ; when the weather moderated the whales could 

 not be seen. During the following week several other whales 

 were sighted at a great distance, going south rapidly, and on the 

 15th October the ' Nova Zembla ' started on her homeward passage, 

 taking in her last lines on the 26th, and reaching the Tay on the 

 17th November. I quote the brief outlines of these two voyages, 

 as they indicate the usual course taken by the Davis Straits 

 whalers, the difficulties and disappointments the}' too frequently 

 meet with, and how, notwithstanding whales being seen in plenty, 

 even a skilful commander may be compelled by adverse circum- 

 stances to return with a clean ship. 



In the past year there were five vessels in the Greenland Sea, 

 all from Dundee, the port of Peterhead being quite unrepre- 

 sented. Since the year 1857, when Peterhead sent out thirty-two 

 ships (all but two to Greenland), which returned with twenty-one 

 whales and 74,357 seals, the trade from that port has gradually 

 declined, till at present the ' Windward,' which was laid up last 

 season and is now for sale, is the only whaling vessel belonging 

 to Peterhead owners, the brig * Alert ' being only a carrier. The 

 ' Hope ' and the ' Eclipse ' have been sold, the latter to replace 

 the ' Maud ' at Dundee ; and the * Perseverance ' has been sent 

 out on a new venture, I believe by the Hudson Bay Company, to 

 winter in Repulse Bay. Should the ' Windward ' not go out next 

 year, which is highly probable, the Whale Fishery will have come 

 to an end there, the only hope for its resumption being the better 

 times which have been so long waited for ; but the busy scenes 

 which witnessed the fitting-out and departure of thirty-two 

 vessels manned by more than 1000 hands, will never be repeated 

 in the Peterhead Docks. 



The retirement of Capt. Gray marks the closing epoch in the 

 history of the Peterhead fishery, and for the first time since 1811 

 the arctic seas of either Greenland or Davis Straits have remained 



