CURRENTS AND WHALING. 515 



Among other duties, we were called upon to administer chastise- 

 ment for the murder of portions of the crews of whale-ships, as well 

 as of persons belonging to the squadron, which was done not as a 

 vindictive retaliation, but to convince the natives that their attacks 

 on vessels bearing our flag cannot pass with impunity. 



In all places we have endeavoured to foster a good feeling, to esta- 

 blish a system of fair dealing, to win confidence, and to act justly. 

 The knowledge of the native character which I have obtained, and 

 have recorded in the preceding pages, will, I hope, be of use in pre- 

 serving a good understanding between them and those who follow us; 

 rules and regulations were agreed upon in many places with the 

 chiefs, for the purpose of rendering the property and lives of our 

 citizens more secure in their visits to the ports of the islands ; and 

 it is to be hoped that they will be strictly observed on the part of 

 American vessels. 



The Expedition has done much by its surveys and explorations to 

 make the islands, their anchorages and harbours, better known ; and 

 very many doubtful shoals, reefs, and islands have been carefully 

 searched for. Particular information respecting these dangers will 

 be embraced in the Hydrographical Memoir. 



Our whaling fleet now counts six hundred and seventy-five vessels, 

 the greater part of which are ships of four hundred tons burden, 

 amounting in all to two hundred thousand tons. The majority of 

 these vessels cruise in the Pacific Ocean. Between fifteen and six- 

 teen thousand of our countrymen are required to man these vessels, 

 half of whom go to sea for the first time as "green hands," and 

 return after a voyage of fatigue and hazard, transformed into sailors. 



The value of the whale fleet is estimated at not less than twenty- 

 five millions of dollars, yielding an annual return of five millions, 

 extracted from the ocean by hard toil, exposure, and danger. The 

 estimated quantity of oil imported into the United States is about four 

 hundred thousand barrels, nearly one-half of which is sperm oil. 



It might be said that the employment of so large a number of 

 persons is not constant, because many of the vessels are always to be 

 found in our harbours. But it is well known that the same number 

 of hands are employed in port as at sea ; and I believe, from my own 

 observation, and the statements of others, that so far from falling 

 below the estimate, the number of persons actually engaged in this 

 business would greatly exceed the registry of the crews, as our ships 

 are constantly in the practice of taking on board extra hands from 



