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Historical Records of New Zealand South

[Introduction]

page 120

From records, reports, etc., in Sydney Record Office:—As conducted from England, these fisheries date back to 1775. The Pacific fisheries were opened by Captain Shields, of the Emilia, in 1788. Japan fisheries, by Captain F. Coffin, of the Syren, in 1819. From these teeming waters alone, for many years, an annual catch of 40,000 barrels was taken, which, at the average price of £8 per barrel, gives some idea of the trade generally. Seychelles Islands, extending from Madagascar to the Persian Gulf, were opened by Captain M'Lean, in 1823. All experience goes to prove that whales do not entirely disappear, but merely migrate in consequence of their favourite haunts, being too continuously invaded. Spermaceti whale fisheries are carried on in the Pacific, from latitude 50deg south to 20deg north, between longitude 75deg west and the Indian Ocean, as also along the coast of Japan, as far north as 45deg. Its principal centres in the Pacific include the coasts of N.Z., New Holland (Australia), Chili, and Peru. In the Indian Ocean it extends from the Cape of Good Hope to the Western Coast of Australia, including Malacca Islands, and those of Japan, Sumatra, and, on the other hand, Madagascar to the entrance of the Persian Gulf. Common whale fisheries were mostly prosecuted in the bays, on the coast of Chili and the north-west coast of America, from California to the Aleutian Islands, and in the Sea of Kamchatka; as also the bays on the coast of New Holland, off N.Z. and its adjacent Auckland Islands, on the banks of Brazil, and the bays on the eastern and western coasts of Africa. They were likewise found in considerable numbers, in high southern latitudes—off the island of Desolation, Falkland, and Sonth Shetland. Between 1775 and 1844 England fitted out 861 vessels, which made in all 2153 voyages. The average cost of each ship including insurance, is estimated in the first instance at £8000, and that of each, successive re-equipment £5000. The aggregate capital invested is set down at £13,348,000. One hundred and thirty ships were lost, 87 captured in war, and 37 abandoned, making a total of 254 ships to be deducted from the 861 equipped. The sperm oil and common oil imported amounted to 167,556 of the former and 115,088 tuns of the latter. Pecuniary returns are estimated to amount to £14,987,052. Fur seal skins to the number of 2,094,393 were got during the period named. £288,700 was paid in "bounties." Between 1800 and 1842 sperm oil averaged £84 per Imperial tun, common oil £35. Between 1843 and 1845 these prices averaged £70 to £90. and £29 to £34, respectively. During first decade of the century 72 ships were employed, 64 during the second, 90 during the third, and 94 during the fourth (1840). Between 1840 and 1846 the number dwindled down from 72 to 36. The duration of the voyage and the average quantity of oil per ship was as follows:—Two and a-quarter years during the first 10 years, averaging 129 tuns oil; 2 1-6 years from thence to 1815, 165 tuns; 1815 to 1820 2½ years, 181 tuns; 1825 to 1830, 2¾ years, 190 tuns; 1830 to 1835, 37 months, 186 tuns; 1835 to 1840, 40 months, 172 tuns; 1840 to 1842, 42 months, 168 tuns; 1843, 43 months, 158 tuns; 1844, 42 months, 142 tuns; and 1845, 45 months, 143 tuns. Between 1821 and 1841 there was a decrease of 242 ships and upwards of 9700 men. American ships generally represented nine-tenths of the entire number of British ships so employed. The American whaling fleet, actively employed on the coast of N.Z. in the spring of 1840, amounted to 100 sail—a fact which, says Captain Wilks, in his narrative of the United States exploration expedition, will alone enable us to appreciate the value of these seas for whaling pursuits.

Charles Enderby, in Select Committee of the Imperial Parliament, July 24, 1840, reported:—"In an interesting work, advocating revival of the Greenland whale fisheries and trade, published 1722, I find some observations, so peculiarly apposite to the subject of the present deliberation, that I cannot page 121do better in quoting them in support of my own conclusions, than substitute the word 'Southern' for 'Greenland,' and 'Americans' for 'Hollanders.' It will then be seen with what cogency the passages in question apply to the southern whale fisheries, although written a century and a quarter ago:—'The Greenland trade' (read Southern Fisheries) 'hath in it all the qualifications that are needful to recommend it to this nation. It is qualified to enrich and make it more powerful. It is to be spoken of with regret that, although it was first discovered by the English, it has long since been abandoned to our diligent neighbour, the Dutch' (read 'Lately Abandoned to Americans and Others'); 'and this nation has suffered it to be neglected, to their infinite loss and dishonour. Though it has been generally supposed, it will be found, upon examination, a very great mistake that the English cannot manage this trade, which the Hollanders, Hamburgers, Bremers, French, and Spaniards' (read Americans, etc), 'all carry on to advantage, and by which means they are made rich, even out of our own pockets, who sit still and buy those goods of them for our ready money, which the English are every way better qualified to furnish to themselves, and even for export to other nations. It is a vulgar error that the Dutch' (read Americans) 'can build ships or sail ships or catch whales better and cheaper than the English. I am confident that if any society of men with a good stock and careful, prudent management would undertake it, they would greatly find their account in it, and the nation would reap such immense advantage from it that it will naturally fall under consideration of the Legislature to give all reasonable encouragement that may be needed to procure it.'"

At the date indicated (1840) it was estimated the Americans employed in these southern fisheries between 600 and 700 vessels, manned by upwards of 18,000 seamen. Between the years 1838 and 1845 the produce of their fisheries averaged annually 37,459 tuns, whereof 13,406 were exported and the remainder kept for home consumption. In the last-mentioned year the produce amounted to no less than 43,064 tuns, representing at the average American prices (although probably realising much more) a value of £1,420,447; whereas in the same year the produce of British whale (including Greenland, etc.) was only 5,564 tuns, or £1,171,266 in favour of American over British enterprise in that particular branch of industry.

Writing as early as May, 1797, Collins, in his diurnal of New South Wales, notes the arrival in Sydney of two whalers not named, and mentions Sydney as an eligible whaling centre. He adds:—"Messrs Champion, Enderby, and others, owners of ships in the whale fisheries, could establish a depot or warehouse, well supplied with naval stores, where their business could be transacted by their own people and ships fitted with their own material."

In a despatch dated May 9, 1803, Governor King writes:—"The flattering accounts the owners of the southern fisheries will receive of the success of their ships on this coast and that of New Zealand ought to encourage their following this as the surest and most profitable track for their ships. We have now two ships belonging to London ready to sail, full of spermaceti oil, and several more are going Home in the same state." In a further despatch, dated March 1, 1804, he writes:—"Great success has attended the exertions of individuals in procuring 'oyl' and sealskins, which has been very profitable to the individuals, and as such may be considered an advantage to the colony, in the number of men and small vessels employed in that business."

Assistant-surgeon Thompson, writing Under-secretary Cook, June 28, 1804, says:—"The seas along the coast of the colony abound with spermaceti whale, page 122and it is to the industry and perseverance of my friends, Messrs Enderby, of London, merchants, that the colony is obliged for ascertaining that a whale fishery was practicable on the coasts of New South Wales. These gentlemen fitted out two ships for the express purpose of giving it a fair trial, and commanded the masters not to leave the coast for one year, even if they should not catch one fish. The experiment fully answered their expectations, since which time several other merchants have fitted out ships in that trade, and have reaped the benefit of their speculation. Last year, within the space of four months, five ships returned from that country loaded with spermaceti oil, with an average cargo of 150 tuns, which, at £90 sterling per ton (the market price at the time), makes their whole cargo amount to 567,000 sterling. At present there is on the coast and to the northward nine ships belonging to London, whose cargoes at the above rate will amount to £121,500, and employ about 270 seamen. The benefits resulting from this trade, both to the Mother Country and the colony, are evident. About the time I left the colony a few adventurous people, belonging to the country, were proposing to fit out and employ some small craft in this trade, erecting warehouses in Sydney, and sending the oil to England in freight as an opportunity of vessels returning Home offered. From this very trade, occupied in a similar manner, did Nantucket, in North America, from a barren sandy island, become one of the most respectable of its seaport towns, and produced the best seamen in America; the English merchant ever glad to invite them at high wages to command their South Sea whale ships and ever since I have been in the service of New South Wales I have observed most of the commanders of the South Sea ships to be Nantucket men.

Order-in-Council, dated September 5, 1805:—The Governor has received information from Lieutenant-Governor Paterson, dated August 1 last, that a boat's crew had arrived at Port Dalrymple from Cape Barren to solicit a supply of provisions to relieve their distress and those of 20 other people belonging to the employ of Henry Kable and others, to the truth of which they deposed on oath; and his Excellency having also received a complaint from a gang of men employed in the same neighbourhood by Mr Campbell stating their distress, having been then (the 21st August) ten weeks without provisions, and languishing with cold and hunger. As this is not the first time these unfortunate people have been thus treated, and notwithstanding the Governor's endeavours to forward the exertions of those employed in the fishery, yet he cannot, in justice to the complainants, omit the severest censure on those who have thus negligently trifled with the existence of their fellow creatures. Nor can he pass over in silence the litigation, chicanery, and every other species of irregularity that has, more or less, been forced on the attention of the Governor, magistrates, and Courts of Justice in attending to the perplexing and unwarrantable conduct of the owners of the South Sea fisheries and their men, which causes him to make the following regulations:—No security is in future to be admitted for those who are detained for debt until the creditors be fully satisfied. Free men having wives and families at this settlement will not be allowed to engage in the fisheries, because it is known that American vessels have taken people of that description from the several islands, and most certainly with the consent of their employers, by which means their families will become burdensome to the public; but the woners or employers of all colonial vessels and sealing gangs may enter into a special bond, themselves in £200 and two sureties in £100 each, to maintain the wives and families of those permitted to engage, with a ration each equal to that issued from the public stores, during the husband's or parents's absence, unless satisfactory proof is adduced that the husband or parent so engaged is dead, and not taken from the colony or its limits, and to bring them back to the settlement (if required) when the term of his engagement is completed. Then, again, provision is made that employers must maintain free men until an opportunity arrives for forwarding them to their gangs.