AFTER WHALES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 299, 14 June 1912, Page 6

AFTER WHALES

FOUR STEAMERS DUE AT WESTPORT. Some further particulars regarding the New Zealand Whaling Company have been given by Captain L. S. Hasle, of Russell, the New Zealand representative of the. company, who arrived in Auckland on Saturday morning. Captain Hasle informed the Auckland Herald that the company has a working capital of £■60,000, and though Norwegians are principally concerned in the enterprise, there are large shareholders in England and the Dominion. There is a good demand for whale oil, and what is not disposed of locally will he shipped to Glasgow, which is the head market for the oil. The four steamers, Whangarei, Wha- i ngaroa, Hawk and Eagle, left Melbourne at noon on Friday last for Westport, where they are due to load bunker coal about the end of this week. The Whangarei and Whangaroa then proceed to Russell, and will search for whales in northern waters, between Cape Brett and the North Cape. The headquarters of these steamers will be Deep-water Cove in the Bay of Islands, The Whangarei and Whangaroa have a speed of 11 knots, and are particularly suited for the Industry. The Hawk and Eagle will proceed from Westport to the Bluff, and they will go in pursuit of whales between that port, Stewart Island, and the Campbell Islands, making the Bluff their working base. They are larger vessels than the Whangarei and Whangaroa, their dimensions being, length 114 ft and breadth 21ft. They develop 760 horse-power, and have a speed of 13% knots. The four vessels will be tendered by the sailer Prince George, which left England on March 28 for Russell direct, and the steamer Rakiura, 2221 tons, which is expected at Westport about June 26, from Durban. The two tenders will act as trying-out and store ships for the four whalers. The Whangarei and Whangaroa will go to Auckland at intervals for docking and overhaul.