X 
only along tlie shores of the Island ;— 
whereas, at this time, our ships leave 
no seas unexplored in pursuit of these 
monsters of the deep. We might pur¬ 
sue the subject through the various sta¬ 
ges of improvement up to this time, but 
it would swell this introduction beyond 
the limits designed. It is proper, how¬ 
ever, to observe that the present num¬ 
ber of ships employed in the whale fish¬ 
ery from Nantucket, is about 70, avera¬ 
ging about 350 tons each, and manned 
by about 1500 seamen. 
