Transcriber’s Notes: Italic text is marked _thus_. The spelling, punctuation and hyphenation are as the original, except for apparent typographical errors, which have been corrected. WHALE FISHERY OF NEW ENGLAND AN ACCOUNT, WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND SOME INTERESTING AND AMUSING ANECDOTES, OF THE RISE AND FALL OF AN INDUSTRY WHICH HAS MADE NEW ENGLAND FAMOUS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD [Illustration: Sailing ship page decoration] PRINTED FOR THE STATE STREET TRUST COMPANY BOSTON, MASS. COPYRIGHTED 1915 BY THE STATE STREET TRUST COMPANY The vignette on the title-page is reproduced from a print of the ship “Maria” of New Bedford, which in 1853 was the oldest whaleship owned in the United States. Her registry was dated 1782. She was built in Pembroke, now called Hanson, for a privateer during the Revolutionary War, and was bought in the year 1783 by William Rotch of Nantucket, afterwards of New Bedford. At one time she was owned by Samuel Rodman, and also by the Russells. In construction she was the typical whaleship of her time. It is said that she earned for her owners $250,000 and made twenty-five voyages, bringing back a full cargo each time. The tailpiece is from a very old print which represents whaling in the seventeenth century. _Compiled, arranged and printed under the direction of the Walton Advertising and Printing Company Boston, Mass._ FOREWORD The people of New England have long been interested in all matters pertaining to the sea, and members of many of her best-known families have commanded its merchant ships and whalers. The State Street Trust Company has always endeavored to encourage an interest in historical matters, and it is hoped that this pamphlet, the ninth of the series, which deals with one of our earliest industries, will be interesting to the Company’s depositors and also to the general public. It is sent to you with the compliments of the Company, which for over twenty years has tried to serve the interests of its depositors. For valuable assistance in the preparation of this pamphlet the Trust Company desires to acknowledge its indebtedness to Dr. Benjamin Sharp and Sidney Chase, residents of Nantucket (the latter being a descendant of the Starbucks, Coffins and Husseys), to Z. W. Pease, Frank Wood and George H. Tripp, all of New Bedford (Mr. Tripp being the librarian of the Free Public Library), Llewellyn Howland, Frederick P. Fish, Charles H. Taylor, Jr., Roy C. Andrews and Madison Grant of the American Museum of Natural History, New York, D. A. deMenocal, J. E. Lodge and Kojiro Tornita of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and George F. Lord, secretary of the Boston Stock Exchange. Assistance has also been rendered by the officers of the Trust Company. The following books have been used as references and contain valuable information and many interesting anecdotes:— “The Story of New England Whalers,” by John R. Spears.