XVI. STATISTICS OF THE AMERICAN FISHERIES. The following Statistics of this important branch of American Commerce, says the National Intelligencer, will be acceptable to all readers who take an interest in the rise and progress of the great sources of national wealth and greatness. And first, as to the Mackerel fishery in Massachusetts. The quantity inspected was The quantity of fish caught, and smoked and dried, in the United States, in 1840, was 773,947 quintals, of 112 pounds weight each, and of pickled fish 472,359 barrels. The quantity of fish caught, and smoked and dried, in Massachusetts, in 1840, was 389,715 quintals, and of pickled fish 124,755 barrels. The fish caught, and smoked and dried, in Maine, in 1840, was 279,156 quintals, and of pickled fish 24,071 barrels. The fish caught, and smoked and dried, in New Hampshire, in 1840, was 28,257 quintals, and of pickled fish 17141⁄2 barrels. Mackerel are caught off the coast of Nova Scotia with seine nets, and eight hundred barrels have been caught by one seine at a single haul. The Newfoundland fishery was commenced in 1504, by vessels from Biscay, Bretagne, and Normandy, in France. Its increase was rapid. In 1517, it employed fifty vessels, of different European nations; in 1577, the number was 350. Bancroft says that, in 1578, "400 vessels came annually from Portugal, Spain, France, and England." In 1603, there were 200 vessels engaged in it; and including the shoremen, or curers, 10,000 men. value of dried codfish, and of pickled herring, shad, salmon, and mackerel, exported during the nine months ending with the 30th of September last, was 491,217 dollars. Cuba, Hayti, and the other islands of the West Indies, are our principal customers for these articles. The In connexion with this subject, the herring fishery, though not exclusively an American fishery, furnishes the following statements: "It is said, by writers of authority, that, in 1560, the Dutch employed 1000 vessels in the herring fishery; that the number in 1610 was 1500, and that in 1620 it was 2000. These estimates are regarded, however, as extravagant. But what shall be said of Sir Walter Raleigh, who fixed the annual value of the fishery at ten millions sterling; or De Witt, who said that every fiftieth person earned his subsistence by it? Yet such statements were believed at the time they were made, and their correctness is contended for now."-North American Review, p. 82. WHALE FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. The imports of these fisheries into the United States, for the year 1843, are thus stated in the Boston Daily Advertiser:— "Ships and barques, 193; brigs, twenty-three; schooners, thirteen; making a total tonnage of 67,893 tons. These vessels brought in 165,744 barrels of sperm oil, 205,851 barrels of whale oil, and 1,968,047 pounds of bone." The exports of spermaceti and whale oil, and whalebone, for the nine months ending on the 30th day of June 1843, were in value 1,372,022, and 243,308 dollars in spermaceti candles. The Hanse Towns and Holland are our best customers for whale oil, but England takes nearly all our sperm exported. The first regular attempt to engage in the whaling business, in this country, was about the year 1672. The English, French, and Dutch, were before that time largely engaged in it. In 1672, the town of Nantucket formed a co-partnership with James Lasser, for carrying on the traffic, which was done by means of boats from the shore, the whales then being numerous in the neighbourhood of the island. The first sperm whale was taken in 1712, by Christopher Hussey, a Nantucket whaleman, who was blown off shore while cruising for "right whales." From this commencement, the business increased; and in 1715, Nantucket had six vessels of thirty or forty tons burden, engaged in this business, yielding about 5000 dollars per annum. From this small beginning, the traffic has grown to its present paramount importance among the various branches of American industry. Mr. Grinnell, a member of Congress from New Bedford, stated, during the last session, that our whaling fleet now consists of 650 ships, etc., tonnaging 200,000 tons; which cost, at the time of sailing, 20,000,000 dollars, and are manned by 17,000 officers and seamen, one-half of which are green hands when the vessels sail. The value of the annual import of oil and whalebone, in a crude state, is 7,000,000 dollars; when manufactured, it is increased in value to 8,000,000 or 9,000,000 dollars. Taking the entire amount of exports at 2,000,000 dollars, there will be from six to seven millions to be consumed at home. Mr. Grinnell adds: "Although this interest is not directly protected by the tariff of 1842, as its products are cheaper in this country than in any other, yet those concerned in it are decidedly in favour of the protective policy. They have found, by experience, that when the manufacturers and mechanics of the country are actively employed, they can sell their products at fair prices, and that when duties have been low, and almost without discrimination in favour of such articles as are made in this country, it has been difficult to make sales even at low prices. They are in favour of the protective policy, notwithstanding that the duties on each whale-ship and outfits, of 350 tons, amount to 1700 dollars. They find themselves fully compensated by the home market. "This fleet of whaling ships," says Mr. G., "is larger than ever pursued the business before. Commercial history furnishes no account of any parallel to it. Our ships now outnumber those of all other nations combined, and the proceeds of its enterprise are in proportion, and diffused to every part of our country. The voyages of those engaged in the sperm fishery average three and a half years; they search every sea, and often cruise three or four months, with a man at each mast-head on the look-out, without the cheering sight of a whale." Governor Briggs, in his inaugural speech, on the 10th January 1844, says that Massachusetts has 12,000,000 dollars, and 16,000 men, engaged in the fisheries (we presume he means home fisheries and the whale fisheries together); and that her share therein is twice as great as that of all the other States of the Union.-New York Merchants' Magazine. Rhode Island... 108,830 113,482 3,376 578,720 902,387 190,393 44,617 3,845 51,959 309,978 314,902 94,622 1,926,458 2,822,295 1,424,444 934,234 387,463 26,495 291,948 295,862 620,695 1,252,853 8,209,571 2,721,374 278,709 229,053 46,250 New York.... Pennsylvania. 2,428,921 2,643,695 12,479,499 15,574,590 26,553,612 24,907,553 3,677,222 2,398,354 1,802,982 2,426,457 3,280,438 2,335,987 682,235 9,733 9,161,409 19,826,938 9,429,637 2,408,508 150,398 Delaware........ Maryland..... 78,085 78,417 333,197 2,739,982 257,911 862,819 42,486 11,560 4,508 470,019 Virginia... 1,239,797 479,197 3,391,535 6,205,282 908,330 2,817,290 779,836 94,046 3,246 3,132,243 12,879,878 1,249,329 360,635 89,317 North Carolina.. 753,419 759,591 2,237,661 27,916,077 4,517,863 4,858,999 243,218 21,378 3,808 Ohio. 1,519,067 Indiana.... 685,866 Illinois.... 476,183 1,756,091 18,786,705 38,651,128 3,592,482 4,465,871 3,240,716 64,195 167,212 143,757 Florida.. Wiscousin 54,477 62,373 838,667 373,806 14,919 361 50 750,775 710,607 833,247 3,689 20,455 16,324 Iowa....... 43,112 District of Columbia. 43,712 |