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To the Editor of the Hobart Town Advertiser. Sir,-The Colonial Whale Fishery becoming daily of greater importance, the returns of last year showing an amount of 16,811 tons; the number of vessels be. longing to the port of Hobart Town amounting to 27; value of fisheries, �70,000. Van Diemen's Land, from its highly favoured situation must eventually become the first in that pursuit, possessing position, fine harbours, best building materials in the world, abundance of the finest and cheapest provisions, and already seamen ranking among the ablest. The shores of this island formerly abounded with black whale, which. for many years, afforded great profits to the shore parties engaged in the capture. Year after year the destruction has been very great, until at last it has all but ceased. The whale has been driven off, and it has been sought in more turbulent parts of the coast, the South West Cape of Van Diemen's Land and West Coast of New Holland I believe is now the principal fishing, attended with very great risk to ships and boats from the frequency and violence of the gales. A field is open to the southward of 60�, which I am convinced would richly repay the enterprising master there. From all parts of the ocean the whale has been driven, and in such numbers, that to men accustomed to the usual wheeling voyages, it would appear almost incredible. Having accompanied Sir James Ross on the late Antartic Expedition a few remarks may be valuable to any one making the attempt. Leaving Van Diemen's Land about the middle of December, I would run with the usual westerly winds to latitude 60�, into the meridian of 166� east: after passing to the south of that latitude we experienced smoother water, finer weather, and winds prevailing easterly. The first iceberg met was in 63 � 174� east, on 27th December; from that they rapidly increased to ten and twelve in sight at one time. December 31st, latitude 66� south, 171�, east, the weather most beautiful, the sea quite calm, we fell in with the pack ice, which at a distance seen from aloft appeared unbroken, but as we approached it, it opened out into long open pools. of water, and in small pieces. Each day. from the 68� making the pack, whales were most numerous. From the 166� I would work along the edge of the ice to the eastward, being guided by the weather in closing the ice; why I recommend proceeding to the eastward in preference to the westward is, that the land (discovered by Balny, the American and French Expeditions in 1838 and 1839), extending westerly from 166 � east to nearly the 100� runs nearly in the parallel of 66� south, off which a perpendicular wall of ice upwards of 100 feet high extends many miles, and if is the event of a heavy gale from the northward, from the impossibility possibility of the ice having space to drift. to any ordinary built ship so unfortunate as to get embayed, it would be certain destruction, whereas to the eastward' of 166� east, there is a known space of many hundred miles, the land being traced by Sir James Ross into the 79� south, where the expedition was stopped by a barrier of ice from 150 to 300 feet high, under the walls of which the ship sailed due east 400 miles, so that to the eastward of 166� and a gale blowing, the ice will be found to drive almost as fact as any ship hove to, and little fear need exist of being beset, taking care to have sufficient offing that the ice may have time to get in motion Northerly gales we generally found accompanied with thick weather, south-easterly gales brought snow, and south and westerly clear hard weather. The barometer mean range is an inch lower than Van Diemen's Land, its mean range about 29 20, and is an invaluable guide. The seas, which soon rise with a gale, as rapidly fall. and I am convinced boats can work far easier than oft the coast of Van Diemen's Land. In the latitude off the pack ice we did not find the temperature below 30 Fahrenheit. with some of the most transparent clear days ever witnessed. The United States exploring expedition, consisting of four vessels, left Sydney 26th December. 1839. for the Antarctic Seas. The first icebergs met were in latitude 6l �� and 161 east longitude, meeting the pack ice in 64� and 164� east on the 11th January. Two of the ships stood to the westward as far as 97�� east between 66� and 64� latitude, occasionally seeing land, and tracing the Icy Barrier, which appears not to extend to the southward of 66�. Each ship's log makes mention of the whales being most numerous, chiefly of the black kind. and on the 13th February. in 100� east, great numbers of sperm whales were seen. In the published account of Sir James Ross' voyage are the following remarks:- "December 29, latitude 64� 174� east longitude, a great many whales seen greatly resembling but said to be distinct from the Greenland kind. Sperm as well as humpback whales also were observed of the common black kind. We might have killed any number we pleased. They appeared unusually large size and doubtless yield a great quantity of oil, and so tame that our ships sailing past did not seem to disturb them. All the afternoon and following night calm, and water perfectly smooth. January 3, large numbers of whales seen. January 14, in the course of the day a great number of whales were observed ; thirty were counted at one time in various directions, and during the whole day, wherever you turned your eyes, there blasts were to o seen. They were chiefly of large size, and the humpback kind; only a few sperm whales were distinguished among them by their peculiar manner of blowing, .or " spouting," as some of our men who had been engaged in their capture, called it. Hitherto beyond the reach of their persecutors, they have here enjoyed a life of tranquillity and security ; but will now, no doubt contribute to the wealth of our country in exact proportion to the energy and perseverance of our merchants; and these, we well know are by no means inconsiderable. A fresh source of moral and individual wealth is thus opened of commercial enterprise, and if pursued with boldness and perseverance. it cannot fail to be abundantly productive." Again, " on January 15th, whales in considerable numbers," and I do not remember during the whole voyage while in the high southern latitudes any day that whales were not seen : and I am sure the attempt has only to be made, and success is sure to follow. Already, this season, one American ship has sailed; and another, the Junior, is about to follow. I trust my countrymen will not be backward. and many Van Diemen's Land, having such superior advantages, take the first share in so vast a field. I am, Sir, your obedient servant. SG & SGTL ; Vol 5 ; pages 311-2. ^ back to top ^ |
