loured narratives of Lord Amherst's companions, have a particular liking for the departure of all visitors. The climax of this inhospitable spirit winds up in Japan, where it is the established practice to crucify all strangers, pour encourager les autres !'

Heretofore the ill-breeding of these people has been no more than a matter of curiosity; we shrugged our shoulders on reading the accounts which voyagers gave us from time to time, of their ineffectual attempts to open a friendly communication, but cared very little about it. Of late, however, we have been obliged to take a more immediate interest in the habits of the nations alluded to; first, on account of the opening of the Oriental Trade; and next, in consequence of the greater extension of the Southern Whale Fishery. With respect to the first, little need be said; our commercial interest is obviously dependent upon a cordial intercourse with the natives. But how it affects our whale fisheries, may not be so apparent; and as few, perhaps, of our readers are aware of the nature and extent of this very important branch of our commerce, we shall venture to lay before them a slight sketch of its rise and progress.

The southern whale fishery was first entered upon by our North American colonies, chiefly from Nantucket, some time before the accession of his late Majesty. Our Greenland fishermen were then ignorant of the manner in which the spermaceti whale was caught; and some enterprising persons in this country, who wished to establish that peculiar species of fishing, were obliged to engage Nantucket-men for the purpose. The fishery was accordingly commenced off the shoals of Nantucket, in the Gulf of Mexico, near the Western and Cape de Verd Islands; and even reached occasionally to the coasts of Guinea and Brazil; always just off soundings,' as it is termed by seamen; that is, beyond the edges of the banks on which soundings are obtained. At this time the American war broke out, and put a stop for a time to that branch of industry. It was commenced by vessels fitted out in this country in 1775; but it took many years to render it strictly a British fishery, since the Americans, whom we were forced to employ, used every endeavour to prevent our people from becoming whale-men. At the peace in 1783, the fishery was fully established, though very few ships were employed in it,-not, we believe, above three or four. In 1786, a new branch of it was opened for the black whale (or that which has the whalebone), on the western coast of Africa. Not less than 50,000 tuns of oil were brought to Great Britain, from that quarter, in the course of thirty years; and the lowest valuation of this quantity cannot be stated at less than 900,000l. The Americans probably obtained somewhat less than one half of this amount.

In the year 1788, the first attempt was made to fish in the Pacific ocean. The ship returned with a full cargo, and reported that sea to be full of sperm whales. An absurd panic had long prevailed respecting the navigation of Cape Horn, chiefly in consequence of Lord Anson's voyage. With all his merits, his Lordship certainly mismanaged that part of his undertaking in the most inexcusable manner. Instead of keeping his ships together, at a time when he had no enemy but the elements to struggle against, had he only allowed them to separate, with orders to rendezvous at some fixed point, the voyage might easily have been made, as it is now during all seasons of the year, by every class of single ships. The same passage can never be made by a fleet, without considerable delay; for any accident which detains one, must detain the whole; and as in a fleet accidents must always occur, the delays, as in Anson's case, become almost interminable. The accounts of the great number of whales, however, soon got the better of this terror, and many ships were speedily sent out. The fishery at first was tried between 20° and 12° south latitude, and afterwards from the southern coasts of Chili and off the Island of Chiloe,-eventually it was extended to every latitude between 40° south and the Galapagos Islands, which lie on the equator. Subsequently to this period, the East India Company permitted the whalers to carry their operations into the North Pacific Ocean, and along the north-western coast of North America, but not farther west than 180° of longitude.

In 1790, two other branches of this valuable fishery were opened, one to the island of South Georgia, where a great number of seals and sea elephants were annually caught for a long period; the other was, when the expedition to settle New Holland was sent out under Admiral Philips. The whale-ships carried out convicts, and afterwards fished in those seas.

The whales taken in the South Seas are called the whalebone or black whales. The spermaceti, generally called the sperm whales, have no whale-bone, but are provided with large teeth. The brain of this fish, and the sediment of the oil, are made into what is called spermaceti. The first mentioned, or black whale, is generally found on soundings, on coasts, or on shoals in the ocean-and always goes into bays to calve. The sperm whale, generally speaking, is not found on soundings, but near them. A black southern whale produces from about 5 to 8 tuns of oil. A sperm whale ranges from 3 to 13 tuns. The black whales are independent of one another. The sperm are generally found in shoals; and sometimes they are met with in

such numbers as to extendas far as the eye can see. The cargoes of black whale oil run from 200 to 400 tuns. Those of the sperm oil average about 200 tuns. The greatest cargo ever brought home was about 350 tuns. The greatest number of English vessels employed in the Southern whale fishery at one time has been 150 sail-the average tonnage of each being nearly 300 tons.

Without entering into particulars, it may be here generally mentioned, that our first information respecting the Spanish possessions on the shores of the Pacific, and, what is more important, the first commercial knowledge which they had of us and our goods, was through the medium of these whalers, who have undoubtedly, by this means, rendered a most essential service to both countries, whatever the Spaniards in the Peninsula may have thought of it. In the year 1790, a rupture took place with Spain, which, while on one hand it stopped any direct communication with the mother country, put an end to all delicacy on the subject of our intercourse with her colonies.

Early in the present century, our fishery had stretched itself quite across the ocean, and had reached the Molucca Islands, where the sperm whale is found in great numbers. The East India Company were induced about this time to extend the limits of the fishers to the northward as far as the Celebes and Philippine Islands. Finally, the opening of the Indian and Eastern oceans, to all British ships, has enabled these enterprising men to search for the whale, and to follow him wherever he goes. We may now confidently look to them, therefore, for many inte resting discoveries; for it is their peculiar province to navigate in unbeaten tracks, in contradistinction to traders, who follow the safe and well known routes.

In 1819 the first English whaler was sent off Japan. Sperm whales were seen in abundance; and this soon becoming known, a rush was made to the spot, and not less than fifty British and as many American ships were there last year,-to the infinite astonishment of the Japanese. Of all these, only one attempted to get supplies at that place. After a world of difficulty, a very few refreshments were procured-and the vessel was then fairly towed out to sea by a multitude of boats, in spite of all that could be done by the crew! Our ships are now gradually creeping up to the northward, and if they are not interrupted by the Russians, it may soon be truly said, that there will scarcely be a nook or corner of the earth which our adventur ous and hardy whalers have not probed with their harpoons.

As these whale ships are obliged to keep the sea for a long

time, the scurvy is apt to attack the people; and it becomes a matter of the first importance to discover ports where refreshments may be obtained. From Japan, little, we fear, is ever to be looked for. Hopes were entertained that the Pelew Islands might afford a resting place between the Moluccas and Japan, but the following anecdote discourages these expectations. A ship of about 500 tons, manned with thirty-six men, was passing near that group. The master, not suspecting treachery, indiscreetly allowed a number of the natives to come on board. They suddenly took possession of the ship-drove some of the people below, and others aloft in the rigging. At length the Captain succeeded in rallying his people, and, rushing at the natives with pots of scalding water, which fortunately was at hand, drove these naked savages over board, much in the way that Robinson Crusoe did with his hot pitch. Several of the crew, however, were killed in the contest, and others were wounded.

The Malays, who inhabit the coasts of many of these islands, are in general inoffensive and trustworthy, when confidence is fairly placed in them. But we know of a Malay on board a whaler, who lately took it into his head to run a muck,' as it is called. He killed the master, the 2d and the 4th mates, and two men-then jumped overboard, and in order to prevent his being made prisoner, dived repeatedly till he was drowned! Our amiable friends at Loo Choo are not given to such practices indeed; but they are quite as averse to the company of our poor salt-fed whalers as any of their neighbours; at least the following anecdote holds out little hopes from them.

The ship Greenwich, James Gibson master, being in great distress for want of fresh provisions, and more than half his crew being down with the scurvy,' ran for the Loo Choo Islands, in April 1821. They succeeded in making the natives understand that they were in want of water and refreshments. They were supplied accordingly, but very sparingly; at the same time the Loo Chooans positively refused all payment; their sole anxiety appearing to be to get rid of their guests;-they would not even permit them to land, and, in fact, expressed the greatest misery till they got under weigh and left the island. On this occasion, the master went himself with two boats, but all he could procure was two goats, about two bushels of sweet potatoes, and a few fowls. There seemed to be plenty of vegetables on shore,' says the log-book of the Greenwich, but the inhabitants did not like to sell any. Some of the fishing-boats came very close to the ship, and the people in them seemed to be highly delighted at the sight of

us.

They would have come on board, but we could not stop for them, it being near night, and we could but just lay clear of the land.'

In July, of the same year (1821), the Greenwich made another attempt to open a friendly communication with Loo Choo. And as every thing relating to these people possesses a peculiar interest with the public, we shall quote the exact words of this ship's log-book.

July 6th.-Brisk winds from S. E. Plied towards the S. W. point of Loo Chew. Sent 2 boats on shore after refresh'ments. At noon the boats returned with 2 bullocks, 1 hog, ⚫ and 6 fowls, and a few bushels of potatoes.

July 7th.-Moderate winds and pleasant weather. 2 boats 6 on shore after refreshments. Stood off and on shore with the ship, at the time the Captain was making good trade with the inhabitants of the town. We were ashore too this morning. • There was an old priest came from another town and put a stop to our trade. He likewise hindered our people from going about the town, and hurried the boats off with all possible speed, with a few potatoes and 1 hog. Stood off and on during the night. A. M., 2 boats went on shore again at the same town. On our landing, a parcel of strangers, that we did not see yesterday, stopped us from going into the town. They showed us into a house on the shore, and treated us with tea and pipes of tobacco. We had a good deal of trouble in getting a few potatoes; but neither bullocks, pigs, goats, nor fowls, could we get for love or money. The lower class of people were very willing to let us have any thing we wanted, but that mongrel breed between the Chinese and Japanese hinder⚫ed them from obliging us. At noon returned on board.

July 8th.-Brisk winds from E. to E.S. E., and fine weather. P.M. Two boats ashore after refreshments; at 5 returned with half a dozen fowls and a few potatoes. Made all sail to 'the S.S.E.'

As this account is the only authentic one which has reached us of any visit to Loo Choo since that of the Alceste and Lyra, we make no apology for giving it in detail. We recognise in these rude sketches the features of our old friends, as drawn in the more elaborate works published by the officers who accompanied Lord Amherst's Embassy to China.

We much fear, therefore, that the objections, of the government at least, to strangers, is too great ever to be overcome. The accounts alluded to describe these people as being without arms, and as being every way friendly. If we recollect rightly, however, Captain Wilson makes almost an equally favourable