THE WHALING FLEET.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1387, 10 January 1873, Page 3

THE WHALING FLEET.

[akgus.] The following items of whaling news were famished by Captain Dart, of the barque Sapphire, 237 tons, to Capt. Scott, of the schooner Tommy, which arrived in the bay yesterday from Graf ton. The Sapphire, which was spoken by the Tommy off Cape St. George, had been out ten months, and reported all well, and having 28 tuns sperm oil on board. She also reported the Flying Childers as having 38 tans ; Asia, 15 tuns ; Velocity, 4 tuns ; Zephyr, 13 tuns ; Othello, 19 tuns ; Derwent Hunter, 38 tuns ; and the Melanie, which put into Jarvis Bay, 28 tuns. The Mary Frazer, an American barque, had 16 tuns sperm and 32 tuns black oil, and the Aladdin, nine days out from Hobart Town, has three tuns sperm. The West Australian whalers have been unfortunate this year. One vessel tried the north coast, and another fished on the south coast, but both returned with very indifferent cargoes. They report whales in plenty, but that from the extraordinary clearness of the water the whales we>e enabled to see their pursuers from a long way off, and so kept at a respectful distance. In strong contrast to the foregoing is the report brought by the cutter Gem, which arrived a few days since from Adelaide. On her voyage she spoke, off Cape Leuwin, the American barque Vigilant, of New Bedford, 1000 barrels of oil on board ; and the same day spoke the American barque Stambool, which vessel had not been into port since March last, and had 1000 barrels on board ; all well, and wished to be reported. It is clear that Jonathan mnst have found some' place where the water was not clear ; but it is really vexations to find the wealth of our southern seas carried off to the United States, and humiliating to have to acknowledge that superiority in knowledge, daring, and enterprise meets with its due reward. I