Whaling.

New Zealand is the chief centre of the southern whale fisheries, and at certain seasons the less frequented harbours are visited by whalers for the purpose of refitting and carrying on shore-fishing and barrelling their oil. These are generally American ships, but Otago and Auckland whaling ships are also equipped by New Zealand owners. The sperm whale abounds in the region of the ocean lying to the north-east of New Zealand, but stragglers are found all round the page 26 coast. In the open sea and to the south the most prized whale next to the sperm is the black whale, or tohoro (Eubabæna australis), which is like the right whale of the North Sea, but with baleen of less value. Along the shores the chief whales captured are the hump-back (Megaptera) and rorqual (Sibbaldius), which become very abundant when not disturbed for a few years.