5iS CURRENTS AND WHALING. 



the above-named places at certain times of the year, and those who 

 are acquainted with the business endeavour to be early on the cruising- 

 grounds. I shall now point out the times, according to the best infor- 

 mation, at which the whales visit the several grounds, and although 

 not a whaler, I hope to give such information as may be useful to 

 this adventurous class of my countrymen. 



For convenience of description the cruising-grounds may be con- 

 sidered as included within four distinct sections or belts. 



These belts are from twenty to twenty-five degrees of latitude in 

 width. 



The first of which I shall speak is that between the equator and the 

 northern tropic ; the second, between the tropic and latitude 50° N. ; 

 the third, between the equator and southern tropic; and the fourth, 

 between the southern tropic and latitude 50° S. 



Within the tropics, whales are almost always to be met with. 

 There are, however, particular places within this zone where they 

 chiefly congregate. Whales are found in the first belt on the north 

 side of the equator, to the southward of the Sandwich Islands, and 

 thence westward as far as the Mulgrave Islands, for the greater part 

 of the year ; but the only spot or space they are known to abound at 

 any particular season within this belt, is to the westward of the Galli- 

 pagos ; they pass and repass over the rest of this space in their migra- 

 tions, and may generally be found near to, or around the small islands. 



In the second belt, they range from the coast of Japan to the 

 Northwest Coast of America, and California ; this they frequent from 

 May till November. In the month of July they are found off the 

 Bonin Islands, and between them and the coast of Japan. They 

 frequent the space lying to the northward of the Hawaiian Islands, 

 and comprehended between the parallels of 28° and 35° N., and 

 within the meridians of 145° .and 165° W., from June to October; 

 and resort to the Northwest Coast of America in August and Sep- 

 tember ; and to that of California in November and January. 



The third belt comprises the ocean from the coast of South America 

 to the Kingsmill Group, including the Marquesas, Society, and 

 Friendly Islands, the Samoan and Feejee Groups. Within these are 

 the spaces known as the " on-shore and off-shore grounds." The 

 latter the whalers frequent from November to February, and along 

 this third belt they are found until the months of July and August, 

 by which time they reach the Kingsmill and Feejee Groups. There 

 are, however, stragglers to be met with in this space during all seasons. 



