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183 



a short bushy spout of but a few feet above the surface of 

 the sea; whereas, some of the others will throw it the 

 height of thirty feet or more. Their motion is also differ- 

 ent, being slow and regular, except when pursued ; and 

 their head is remarkable for its length, the nose for its 

 bluntness, and the eye for its smallness, not being larger 

 than that of an ox. The striking of them is attended with 

 more danger than that of any other whale, and they are 

 frequently known to attack and destroy both men and boats. 



Thirdly, the fishery is considered by Great Britain of 

 such national impo]^tance, that, in the year 1792, that go- 

 vernment sent captain James Coinet, of the navy, in the 

 ship Rattler, into the Pacific ocean, for the purpose of dis- 

 covering such ports for the South Sea whale-fishers, who 

 voyage round Cape Horn, as might afford them the neces- 

 sary advantages of refreshments and security to refit. This 

 voyage was planned in consequence of a memorial from 

 the merchants of the city of London concerned in the 

 South Sea fisheries, to the Board of Trade, which stated the 

 calamitous situation of ships' crews employed in this trade, 

 from the scurvy and other diseases incident to those who 

 are obliged to keep the seas, from the want of that refresh- 

 ment which is afforded by intermediate harbours. 



The Spaniards about that time had admitted British ves- 

 sels into their ports, for the purpose of refitting and refresh- 

 ing, but under so many restrictions as almost to amount to a 

 prohibition, in which it was expected to end. It therefore 

 became an object of great importance to obtain such a situ- 

 ation as the British commerce then required, independent 

 of the Spaniards, as it was expected it would in a great 

 lineasure lessen their jealousy, and at the same time ac- 

 complish the wishes of the British merchants. With this 

 object in view, captain Coinet sailed from England on the 

 4th January, 1793, and returned on the 1st November, 

 1794, after having doubled Cape Horn, running along the 

 coast of Chili, Peru, and Mexico, touching at the islands 

 of St. Felix and St. Ambrosio, the Gallipagos, Cocos, the 

 isles of Santo Berto, Rocca Partido, Soccoro, and Quibo, 

 and cruising in the Gulf of California. In the course of 

 this voyage, which occupied twenty-two months, it does 

 not appear that he made either any new discoveries, or 

 accompUshed the object for whichlie was sent out. It was 



