351 



REVIEWS AND BOOK NOTICES. 



The Ancient Port of Whitby and its Shipping;, by Richard 

 Weatherill. Whitby : Home & Sons. 456 pp. 



The old captains and others who remember the whaling days, in common 

 with many people who have been to school much more recently, call 

 whales ' fish.' And in the taverns at Whitby many a pleasant evening is 

 spent in reciting various ' fish ' stories of half a century or so ago. If 

 the ' tallness ' of these stories, compared with the fish stories one hears 

 from present-day anglers, is anything like the proportion of the sizes of 



Whale's Jaw Bones used as Gate Posts. 



the respective ' fish,' an evening at Whitby, with glasses, and genial 

 company, must be an experience to be remembered. The author of the 

 present book tells us of these meetings, and ' at such times, the name, date, 

 and owners, etc. of some vessel would often be a matter of debate and 

 difference of opinion.' The wish for accuracy in these details resulted in 

 the records now made. The object of the volume is, therefore, commend- 

 able ! But, apart from this, the records of the ' good old times ' of whaling 

 are each day becoming less possible of confirmation, and every effort 

 should fee made to gather together such information as is available. 



1908 September i. 



