CURRENTS AND WHALING. 
489 
reach the Kingsmill and Feejee Groups. There are, however, strag¬ 
glers to be met with in this space during all seasons. 
The fourth belt extends from the southern tropic to the latitude of 
50° S. The most profitable time for cruising within it is in the months 
of March, April, and May, to the eastward of New Zealand. After that 
date, along and between the parallels of 22° and 28° S., from the coast 
of New Holland to that of South America. The portion of sea between 
New Holland and New Zealand, is called the “ middle ground,” and is 
frequently found very profitable. 
From an examination of the particular localities in which whales are 
found most numerous at certain seasons, and connecting these with my 
own observations on currents, I am induced to believe the places of 
their resort will point more correctly to the neutral points, or spaces 
of no current, than any other data that we yet possess. 
These must naturally become the rendezvous or feeding-places of 
these animals. The determination of these points will therefore throw 
additional light on the system of currents in the ocean, by pointing out 
the neutral spaces. The chief resort of whales will be seen on the map 
at one view; and when these are connected with the currents shown to 
exist by the observations of the Expedition and others, they will be 
found to correspond in a remarkable manner with the neutral spaces. 
I have myself paid much attention to acquiring information in relation 
to the position of these grounds, from the masters of whale-ships, but 
have usually found their reports at variance one with another, and they 
have sometimes differed as much as five degrees in assigning their 
limits. Their position, no doubt, varies much in different years; but 
even this will not explain all the discrepancies of the statements. 
If we examine the seasons of the appearance of whales at certain 
islands, they will generally be found to be between the beginning and 
the end of the summer of the climate, during which time animal life is 
most prolific, and the food of the whale consequently abounds near the 
particular group. I have frequently been told, and it is generally 
believed, that whales are partial to warmth, and frequent few places 
outside the tropics. This, if true, would be singular enough; but the 
main reason for their frequenting the summer seas at particular seasons 
is the procurement of food, which is there to be found in greater 
abundance; and there appears to be little doubt that in migrating, these 
animals move with the currents, until they find their food in plenty, and 
then continue in such locality until it is exhausted. 
A number of instances are known, as will be seen by referring to the 
Track Map, which will be found in the atlas to these volumes, in which, 
at certain seasons, strong currents have been experienced in places 
62 
VOL. V. 
