The Whale Fishery

The Pall Mali Oazetle gives some statistics on the whale-fishery, which, thoughlirnited toEngland, serve to indícate the declino of thia industry among all nations. In 1814, 143 English ships were engaged in wholing, with a result of the capture of 1,981 " fish," and the produce of 19,408 tons of oil. As an example of " the luck " of the fishtry, it is mentioned that one ship carne home "clean," another obtained but ono ñeh, whilst a third captured forty. In 1824, the British whuling fleet had dropped to 111 veseels, and the number of fish taken was 761. In 1834. the number of whalers was reduced to 76 ; in 1844, to 32. The take of fish this last year amounted to 125, yielding 2,000 tons of oil and 89 tons of whalebone. In 1854, the British whalers numbered 53, and the catch was 97 whales. The first record of the capture of seals by English oceurs in 1841, when the Peterhead boats pulled 19,180. Seal-oil was at that time worth from $165 to $200 per ton. In 1844 the capture of 48 Eeals is recorded ; in 1854, of 59,301. During the last twenty years the whale fishery has btill further declined - not, as the Qazette urges, on accouni of the inventiou of gas, but because ol the great scarcity of whales and the excessive peril of the occupation. The Greenlaud wh'alè is ftlmost entirely ex termiuatcd, andother species have been so reduced in numbers as to roake their capture an unprofHfible adventure, while no industry of the sea is eo fraught with disaster to those who en gage in it.