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The Whaling Journal of Captain W. B. Rhodes: Barque Australian of Sydney 1836 - 1838

17. Sperm Whale Oil Taken by the 'Australian'

page 109

17. Sperm Whale Oil Taken by the 'Australian'

[From the Captain's 'Rough Day-Book']

  • Oct. 27th 1836.1 Two school whales, 45½ barrels. Got by Powel and Mossman [October 21].
  • March 9th 1837. One lone whale, 76 barrels 20 gallons. Seen by Black Bob. Got by Powel [March 5].
  • March 27th. One whale, 54 barrels 23 gallons. Seen by Mr. Powel or W. Hoare. Got by Walter [March 22].
  • April 9th. One whale, 91 barrels 8 gallons. Seen by C. Gleason. Got by Powel [April 5].
  • June 8th 1837. One whale, 70 barrels. Seen by Mr. Powel and caught by W.B.R. [June 4].
  • June 24th 1837. Three school whales, 64 barrels. First seen by John Evoy or Mr. Powel. Got by W.B.R., Mossman, and Walter [June 20].
  • July 21st. Two large whales, 106 barrels. Seen by J. Evoy. Got by Powel and Mossman [July 16].
  • August 11th. One large whale, 63 barrels. Seen by John Terrel. Got by Mossman [August 8].
  • March 9th 1838. Two whales seen by Robert Roberts. Captn. and Mossman killed them. 86 Barrels [March 4].
  • March 31st.One whale seen by joiner. Got by the Captain. 64 barrels.
page 110
Whales (Sperm) up to April 1st.
Mr. Powel 4 whales 263 barrels
Mr. Mossman 5 do 202 do
W. B. Rhodes 4 do 198 do
Mr. Walter 2 do 75 do

718 barrels

[The entries listed above appear at intervals against a continuous and detailed tabulation of 'contents of casks filled'. Unfortunately there is no similarly informative annotation of the right oil part of the table. From the Journal, however, it appears that right whales were taken as follows:
  • 1836: July 14, July 26, August 2, August 12, August 13, August 21, August 25, August 30, September 3.
  • 1837: Nil.
  • 1838: January 21 (two whales).
The whales taken on July 14, 1836, and January 21, 1838 were dead whales apparently lost by other whalers.]

1 The dates given by Rhodes are those on which the oil from each catch was finally stowed away. For convenience the date of the actual catch, as recorded in the journal, is here inserted in square brakets at the end of each entry.