THE SEA WHALE TRADE.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Issue 105, 1 August 1843, Page 4

THE SEA WHALE TRADE.

| (From the Times.) 1‘ A few days ago some remarks were made f’’’’ on the wealth the Americans were deriving* un the whale fishery at the Swan River; and .involving; as it appears to do, the enterprise of (the British merchant, who, from all that can be learned, had not explored that part of the Southern seas with any thing like the success our Transatlantic brethren, the sublet, deserves increased attentipn. The Americans, it would seem, are making the trade in pbil, or at least the produce of these fisheries, [Entirely their own ; for whereas, in two or three •instances which have come under our o-v/n ispecial observation, it has been discovered that Bivhile a fleet of American vessels have fished, as L-jSvas stated the other day, in the most successpul manner in the bays of Western Australia, Certainly not more than half a dozen of our BWhalers visit those places. A correspondent, ritodio has forwarded some statistics on this subject, laments the want of spirit displayed by |sbur merchants in the prosecution of these resources, now the Greenland trade has failed; jknd from what may be gathered of the success tof the vessels already engaged, it appears to be 'Almost inexplicable why this particular interest be so much neglected to the advantage |of the Americans and the French, as late returns of the produce of the whale fisheries of these respective nations have exhibited. The Clearances of British craft during the season |for the South Sea fishery have been 64, and vessels from 200 to 600 tons each, the “ take” by the several ships that are or have already been spoken with, give fos high as 1,800 barrels, and as low as 100 ■barrels. Every allowance must be made for ]vessels which had been but a few weeks on the Stations, and,, in many instances, though it may jhave appeared that the crews were not fortunate, a comparison of dates at one shows that jit .was scarcely fair to expect them in perfect The Marshall Bennett, according jto the latest accounts, had had the greatest ■success.