Captain Scoresby on the Size of the Greenland Whale, 85 
of the whalefishery, respecting the great size of whales formerly 
taken, are not warranted in their disbelief, because they them- 
selves have not seen any of those large dimensions. There can 
be little doubt, that one natural effect of the long war which man 
•has carried on against these animals, must be to diminish their num- 
ber, and more especially that of the larger individuals, which, from 
being more profitable, would be more coveted. Hence, it. may be 
readily conceived, that the whales now taken, are very inferior in 
size to those killed at or near the commencement of the whale-fish- 
ery.” Edinburgh Encychpoedia, art. Cetology, Vol. V. p. 685. 
I make this quotation, not with a view of criticism, but be- 
cause it conveys a very popular argument as to the reason why 
whales should have been of much greater magnitude in the ear- 
ly years of the fishery, than they are at present. 
With regard to the size of which the Mysticetus at present 
occurs, it will be sufficient to say, that of 322 individuals, in the 
capture of which I have been personally concerned, no one, I 
believe, exceeded 60 feet in length; and the 'longest I ever 
measured was 58 feet from one extremity to the other, being 
one of the largest to appearance which I ever saw. I therefore 
conceive, that 60 feet may be considered as the size of the lar- 
gest animals of this species, and 65 feet in length as a magnitude 
which very rarely occurs But, as w'e have no authority but 
what I conceive is questionable, for supposing the Mysticetus 
ever grew to a larger size than at present, my object will be 'to 
bring forward some authorities tending to prove, that this ani- 
mal now occurs of as great dimensions, as at any former period 
since the commencement of the whale-fishery. 
In Zorgdrager’s History of the Greenland Fishery, is a list 
of the success of the Butch 'Greenland Fleet, during a period 
of fifty years, comprehended between 1670 and 1719, from 
which, in IfiTT, we find, that 686 whales produced 30.050 
quardeelen or barrels of blubber, or 44 barrels per fish. These 
barrels, Zorgdrager intimates in the same work, were of the 
capacity of 17 steekanan ; the steekan, we know, is equivalent to 
5.02 gallons wine measure; consequently, the barrel must be 
85.34 gallons. Hence, the produce per fish comes out 29 butts 
of 126 gallons, or half a ton each English wine measure. In 
1679, the average of 831 whales was 48 barrels, or about 31 1 
^ Sir Charles Giesecke informs us, that in the spring of 1813, a whale was killeci 
at Godhavn, of the lelngth of 67 feetp J^din. EnfycL art. 
