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recommend it to the especial protection and fostering care of the government.

As it was among the first objects of the Exploring Expedition to render the dangerous path of these enterprising mariners more safe, 1 trust it will have been perceived, that throughout the operations of the squadron, this interest has never been lost sight of. In fact, it has always been my constant study to endeavour to accomplish whatever could tend to its benefit. In the course of the various and devious voyages we have made, the greatest attention has been paid to the winds and currents; and from my investigations, I hope to be able to point out the most feasible routes by which to gain the proper cruisinggrounds, and to define their localities more clearly than has hitherto been done.

Among other duties, we were called upon to administer chastisement for the murder of portions of the crews of whale-ships, as well as of persons belonging to the squadron, which was done not as a vindictive retaliation, but to convince the natives that their attacks on vessels bearing our flag cannot pass with impunity.

In all places we have endeavoured to foster a good feeling, to establish a system of fair dealing, to win confidence, and to act justly. The knowledge of the native character which I have obtained, and have recorded in the preceding pages, will, I hope, be of use in preserving a good understanding between them and those who follow us; rules and regulations were agreed upon in many places with the chiefs, for the purpose of rendering the property and lives of our citizens more secure in their visits to the ports of the islands; and it is to be hoped that they will be strictly observed on the part of American vessels.

The Expedition has done much by its surveys and explorations to make the islands, their anchorages and harbours, better known; and very many doubtful shoals, reefs, and islands have been carefully searched for. Particular information respecting these dangers will be embraced in the Hydrographical Memoir.

Our whaling fleet now counts six hundred and seventy-five vessels, the greater part of which are ships of four hundred tons burden, amounting in all to two hundred thousand tons. The majority of these vessels cruise in the Pacific Ocean. Between fifteen and sixteen thousand of our countrymen are required to man these vessels, half of whom go to sea for the first time as "green hands," and return after a voyage of fatigue and hazard, transformed into sailors.

The value of the whale fleet is estimated at not less than twentyfive millions of dollars, yielding an annual return of five millions, ex

tracted from the ocean by hard toil, exposure, and danger. The estimated quantity of oil imported into the United States is about four hundred thousand barrels, nearly one-half of which is sperm oil.

It might be said that the employment of so large a number of persons is not constant, because many of the vessels are always to be found in our harbours. But it is well known that the same number of hands are employed in port as at sea; and I believe, from my own observation, and the statements of others, that so far from falling below the estimate, the number of persons actually engaged in this business would greatly exceed the registry of the crews, as our ships are constantly in the practice of taking on board extra hands from the Azores, Cape de Verdes, and South Sea islands, which would probably amount to an eighth or a tenth more.

The number of those on shore to whom this branch of business gives employment, will readily be admitted to be twice as great as that of the crews. When we add to this profitable occupation of so many persons, the value of the domestic products consumed by them, and the benefit that is thus conferred upon both our agricultural and manufacturing interests, the importance of this branch of business will appear greatly enhanced.

By a large majority of persons, it is believed that the whale-fishery is a mere lottery, in which success is more owing to good luck than to good management. Those, however, who entertain such an opinion, are in error. There is, perhaps, no employment on the ocean wherein a sound judgment is more necessary, and no business where success depends more upon the experience, enterprise, and industry, of the commander, than in that of whaling.

Voyages may indeed be made by incompetent persons, and by fortuitous circumstances success may be obtained; but those who are well acquainted with the business, will almost certainly "fill up" in the time allotted to a voyage, and frequently in a much shorter period. There are two kinds of whales that are principally the object of search by our whalers. These are the sperm whale (Macrocephalus) and the right whale (Mysticetus). These two animals differ exceedingly, both in their form and in their habits. The first is furnished with teeth, the last with a collection of lamina; they are therefore adapted to different kinds of food: the former feeds on the large medusæ of the ocean, termed by the whalers squid; the other on small crustacea, and small fish. Their feeding-grounds are seldom in the same places; for, while the latter frequents the coasts and bays, the former is seldom found except in the deep sea, and generally far from the land.

Whales of the two different kinds are easily distinguished at a distance by the experienced, from the volume of their spout; its direction and elevation; the number of times it is repeated; the manner in which they dive; the length of time they disappear; and the body they expose to view.

I shall now proceed to point out the cruising-grounds, and explain the operations of the whalers, directing my attention first to the sperm whale fishery, not only because it is the most valuable, but because it depends more upon the skill and information of those engaged in it.

The master of a whale-ship should be a good seaman and navigator, well acquainted with the winds and currents, as well as with the cruising-ground of his prey. When he is thoroughly acquainted with these, and possesses a good ship, with a spirit of perseverance and energy, there is little fear of his returning home with a "clean ship."

The principal whaling-grounds in the Pacific are shown on the map annexed to this chapter; they are confined particularly to spaces which have been known in the Pacific Ocean by names well understood among the whalers, such as the "on-shore ground" and the "off-shore ground," "middle ground," &c. These spaces, however, have wide limits; thus, for instance, the "on-shore ground" embraces the whole extent of ocean along the coast of Chili and Peru, from the island of Juan Fernandez to the Gallipagos Islands; and the "off-shore ground" the space between latitude 5° and 10° S., longitude 90° and 120° W.

The following list embraces all the different grounds in the Pacific visited by our whalers.

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8. Along and to the south of the equator, from the coast of South America to the

Kingsmill Group.

9. Across the South Pacific, between the parallels of 21° and 27° S.

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11. In the neighbourhood of the east coast of New Zealand.
12. The Middle Ground, between New Holland and New Zealand.
13. The coast of Japan, and between it and the Bonin Islands.

14. The northwest coast of America.

15. Coast of California.

These, it will be seen, embrace a large field, and it might be sup

posed that a ship could hardly miss finding the animals. Such, however, is not the case. A vessel may visit all these places, and yet return home a "clean ship," if she happened to be out of season. It appears from experience that whales in their migrations congregate in the above-named places at certain times of the year, and those who are acquainted with the business endeavour to be early on the cruisinggrounds. I shall now point out the times, according to the best information, at which the whales visit the several grounds, and although not a whaler, I hope to give such information as may be useful to this adventurous class of my countrymen.

For convenience of description the cruising-grounds may be considered as included within four distinct sections or belts.

These belts are from twenty to twenty-five degrees of latitude in width.

The first of which I shall speak is that between the equator and the northern tropic; the second, between the tropic and latitude 50° N. ; the third, between the equator and the southern tropic; and the fourth, between the southern tropic and latitude 50° S.

Within the tropics, whales are almost always to be met with. There are, however, particular places within this zone where they chiefly congregate. Whales are found in the first belt on the north side of the equator, to the southward of the Sandwich Islands, and thence westward as far as the Mulgrave Islands, for the greater part of the year; but the only spot or space they are known to abound at any particular season within this belt, is to the westward of the Gallipagos; they pass and repass over the rest of this space in their migrations, and may generally be found near to, or around the small islands.

In the second belt, they range from the coast of Japan to the northwest coast of America, and California; this they frequent from May till November. In the month of July they are found off the Bonin Islands, and between them and the coast of Japan. They frequent the space lying to the northward of the Hawaiian Islands, and comprehended between the parallels of 28° and 35° N., and within the meridians of 145° and 165° W., from June to October; and resort to the northwest coast of America in August and September; and to that of California in November and January.

The third belt comprises the ocean from the coast of South America to the Kingsmill Group, including the Marquesas, Society, and Friendly Islands, the Samoan and Feejee Groups. Within these are the spaces known as the "on shore and off-shore grounds." The latter the whalers frequent from November to February, and along this third belt they are found until the months of July and August, by which time they

reach the Kingsmill and Feejee Groups. There are, however, stragglers 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

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