The Polynesian. [volume], June 12, 1841, Page 2, Image 2

About The Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii) 1840-1841

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THE POLYNESIAN.
JtNf
scls engaged in the wlinlttiu business from (this measure, was to cut nil Nantucket
this port was six, all of them sloops of from a considerable portion of it foreign
from thirty to foity tons burden, ami pro- market ; . jd the American wlialo trncle
ducing 1100, amounting in our turren- was not sensibly diminished, us its con
cy to (jjt -1,888 83. 'sumption was enlarged in various parts of
Sudi wus ihc germ of the whale fishery the world, and even the; exportation to
in this country, and circumstances trans- Kmdand continued tr he carried on. As
spired which wen; calculated to extend new coasts were explored, the field of the
X few vears previous to "the revolution, the breeze would die away entire",, &r.
the average price in nmrkct lor spennaceu ; K Hvr r.v.n ,., rocki,,,,,
oil was about 10. and for head matter j twisting about in the vexed waves, mnd.l.fc,
:0. Common whale oil was seventy
dollars per ton, and the bone was about
half a dollar per pound. As a whale pro-
n mini It rhilrl who iittftnntfl tn cK
of injured dignity, by throwing hi pinvfj
.... i m
upon the uoor, ami sprawis legs and an J
ducin" about one hundred barrels of oil j into the air, while he distorts his body j
into
would vield two thousand pounds of bone, j thousand inexpressible shapes, rxtrrn,, '
i . ... t i . i l i i . . iviir tin ra i . m . . i a 1 1 i.nt iklti : . i
its noerntion4. ,:oor cvMi'k v ii t cm hi u h:i is icrv iiriimc on siriMU . nil( t IC MIC III WliaiO pmiMlClllL' liny ui ?i.h ..-, consoling i" ..... ..--i .,, uciilni v ..
introduced as motive for the business in-Lniericnn while- fishermen' adventured ! rels of oil would ordinaiily yield about lifting to any one else. Kqunlly vnin :
creased, and the enlargement of their widely into the ocean for their favorite
number of course required art additional game. The places at which the whale
number of men, so tii.it the i.dai d could fishery commenced, and the periods when
not furnish the force to man their ships, lit was begun, prior to our revolution, we
This deficiency was, however, supplied by have in the subjoined table, which is be
seamen from Long Island, a well as vaii- Sieved to be accurate:
ous parts of Cape Cod. IJut the eon- At Davis' Straits, in the year 17-15.
sumption of od did not increase with the The Island of Disco, in the mouth of
augmentation of the number of the ships IJallin's Hay, in the year l"ol.
and the quantity of oil which was obtain- (Julf of St. Lawrence, in the year 1751.
cd. Indeed the domestic sale was fie
quently dull, and the whale fishermen be
gan to look to a foreiirn market. IJoston,
at this time, furnished the chief depot for
the oil of the Nantucket whalemen, and
it was customary for the merchants of that
THE POLYNESIAN.
Honolulu, Saturday, June 12, IN II.
Coast of (iiiinea, in the vear 175:.
7
Western Islands, in the vear 175").
Eastward of the Hanks of Newfound
land, in the year 17(..
Coat of Brazil, in the year 177 1.
esides these places, whaling voy- ; fi:il ., tltiMtiW Ul.,ut. n.e light and uulu ol'ihc
city to order large quantities of whale oil 'aires were carried on to a considera- sui.ny i.-h of uhkii they tmit.
from Nantucket, an I to export it to En- I bio extent, although for a shorter pori- Diui ri(.s ruo.M .MV JOt'KNAl No 1.
gland in their own vessels, from which od, upon the (iiand Banks, Cape Verd ; At u vv.ti-.u uoaboitt to mi cocmn
trafiic thev derived a considerable profit, ! Islands, numerous points of the West In- . job htavathome.
the oil of the Hnn'd havin-obtained a ve- dies, the Hav of Mexico, the Carribean lining somen hat of a valetudinarian, and
ry hiirh reputation in Europe. This fiict Sea, the coast of the Spanish Main, and ,mv"M hnit .d Honolulu, until
aroused the people of Nantucket to their various other Parts of the sea. The a- ln.v ""ginnl tlmuus-. had heroine uYmimst
true interest, and tliey immediatelv adoi t- 'mount of enterprise invested in the traffic transpurcney, 1 dctermineil to change the satistaction and with a hf-nevnlent
ed measures to export the products of t!.e lat different periods, and the profits of the scene and climate. o sooner thought of, j fering to share his mess with your f.rim
fishery themselves, and accordingly to I voyages at this early stage of the fishery, than executed ami the evening of the same sell .' Did n.t t!ie poi smell particular
reaj) the profi's. Hut although the pros- J may perhaps be interesting at the present 'day that my resolution was fonrud, found ! sour jut then, and did you not iiiiaiinih
ten pounds of bone to the barrel, it is ji. he to make such an urchin srntid wi;i
ouvioiis tnai lie capture oi u smgiu o.iM.-m Wjlt ai ,t w-ns nr us m stand withtlJ
must have been an important ohject, evem H,ri nf wij ' ,c frequent and numr,,.
so lar as mere pioiu was t-uutuoini. tions in tne epigasinc region scciu to ,a
'So l mj roniiiiiird. s me sympathetic connection with Ibmnrtt,
line oi heauty; nr an my motiona nt ra
were in a curvilinear direction, until ha it,
enlightened the scaly dwellers of the drop
the utmost of my abilities, as to thv natur
of my diet for the previous week, I CtirU
myself up into the smallest compass pnssif
and under the protection of a mat, hid did
mice to the scorching sun, and the ra-
squalls that occasionally discharged their hi
mid contents upon us. Header, wore vr.
ever in such a situation did your nosei-v,
acquire an extra turn up " as the rei kir
edors of poi in all its sweet savor struck ir
on your nostrils? Have you never nni.
the graceful nonchalance uith whirl) n jr:j.
ing Hawaiian slips the sticky food dnwn i,
throat, smaeliin his lips in the extent ufi.
Wt: Imve liiid llio nrooiiro ol'oi cii.iornl "Drippins1"
from tl'C joiirii.-il ofu fiinml, of w liteli now pi a
i spmmcn. wuciinaor so y iimk ii hi m or oi oiip, dim
ptihlili it with tltu hopes tiiat tl'u dnpt m:iy lieton-.c
iikiic citiir, spurKliu, and refic-sliiny; na I hey eoine
n:uer to tin? niiro of tin: luimt, imiil lliey mish out
intoiibeoitir.il rtiiMin, lellcctiii'Z fioai its Miifoe as
liii'i i
peels of success appeared bright, they jtime, exhibiting, ns they do, the progress me a helpless victim to the sport of Nep
move! wil'i great cau'ioii m tins master, jot the trade in tins country. We there- tune, King on my hack, on the deck of the
knowing, that the failure of their enter- J fore subjoin a table, showing the number ! schooner , hound to Kauai. Misery
prise would be attended with disastrous !of vessels in this country emplnw d in the l0f miseries talk about the horrors of the
consequences. Accordingly, about, the ; whale fishery, and the amount of oil pro- mid iaWf(rp No savo prnt ;n h-H vik,
.. i - -. ii i . i ... i ...i i 'i i ..: .!?. i : f ' '
..-..i i i a m .... ii, ..s omoc u ...oi :i,.m.-u. u-,, oeo, . :,g io i ni.4,anu iuiiiiii.s ,1M,p set t h d more nnwillinL' necount
despatched t Europe with a cargo of oil.
The expedition was successful,' and their
shipments to England and other foreign
ports were increased. This new field of
enterprise was attended with a double ad
vantage, for while they secured large
profits on these voyages, it was found that
the articles in the foreign ports to which
their ships were consigned, consisting of
iron, hardware, hemp, and sail-cloth, were
precisely of the kind which they wanted for
the trade, and being purchased at a cheap
rate, tliey were admirably adapted to their
return ea rimes.
But in the year 175.", the loss of sev
eral fine ships, with their crews, by the
perils of the se;i, or by rapture for it is
i : i ..i' a
id a period oi i years. I.. ,t i- i t .i i i-1 .i ( -i
' ! witii his hiincsiiip than I did in the " mid-
The number of American ships, and oil elnnnel." Just picture the comfort to he
produced, for ten years.
Date. No. of vessels. No. ofbbls.
enjoyed in a little decked vessel, a sort of
amphibious craft, wt so large as a frigate's
launch, whirled and tossed in the froth of the
ocean like a mere feather, now under water,
now out again, shaking the spray from itself,
much like an old water dojj. The few feet of
deck is shared w ith some dozens of natives,
the near contact of whom allows you ahout
two feet square to curl up in. No abolitionist
can have less antipathy to the various col
ored cuticles that cover our race, than 1
have, hut when my next neighbor's shins are
in close contact with my cranium, and that
From ihe year 1770 to 1775, this neighbor is a swarthy naked 1 lawaiian, with
17(i 78 9.110
17b) GO JV'.JS
17(M 7 ll,i)H3
1705 101 11,512
17b(J 118 ll,!)f9
17G7 I OS H),5(il
17f)S 125 15,4:19
17b9 119 19,140
1770 125 11..TU
1771 115 12,751
Ilia iO i ,i
...
well Itmowii t!iat we were Hkmi at war i)n,m., nf commerce had increasel to an I w-ll furrowed with a disease, a rem
with I .ance-threw a temporary blight ;uneampled amount, and the hardy is-U'dy tbr which ipiacks have been exerting
over the traslic, although it continued to ;;lM,,.rs (f that const constituting tlu; ; their advertising powers ever since the days
increase. The ships were enlarged in w,aling companies, were mechanics, who
H.e irom imuy io one nuncirea ions nur- :ni.1,l,lf.Ctured the corda-e, the casks, the
den and more, as whales had lec;fiiiiu !saiiSf th iron siikI vfcl work of the ships,
scarce upon their own niri:m-r uroniMls L...J ;Vc.n iMI;it t,f-. s;.ms tlK-nolvi's. Ac-
near the shore, and larger vessels were
of Noe, 1 cen'oss some little sensitiveness.
But in the ellbrt to avoid Scylla I fell upon
C.'haiybdis, in the shape of one of the fairer
sex; whose attire is just sullicient to convince
Ir Pitkin, Massachusetts ! even tiie most sea-sick, that woman una-
was despatched to Davis' raits and the
Western hinds bene; prowled with
complete outfits, and bile a few m ole
great voyages, others rume home "clean,"
from the ignorance th.it. then prevailed
respecting the courses of the winds, tin
proper feedimj-UTOiiud ot the wliuh's, and
of all those other facts which coal I only
be acquired by expciieuce. Whaling
continued to be the main orcup.itio;i of
the inhabitants of that island, while the
attempts which were made to cany on
this pursuit in other parts of the country,
.appear to have failed.
Another fact tend"d to diminish the
profits of the whale fishery at that time.
The Knglish government, discovering that
oil was far preferable to other light, being
better adapted to common use, and less
expensive, became anxious to increase
that branch of commerce from her own
ports, and in consequence granted a large
bounty to this species of industry. By
that means it was much enlarged, ami
London soon became an important whal
ing port. The necessary consequence of
av-
eordiii.'' to
vnn i i tj i 1 ii nrleo ooo Piillwit ititt 4 l.ii
1 "", '"' alone, during thai space o tune, employed i denied U not nbraw adorned the must. Iler
A number of the larger rlass ot vessels .nil.. I ,l.-,.,l ,.;.rl,i..-tl,ir.i. i -.. ....... . ...
'"'""""V .!-..... . ...... t, niiir, i.i.u s jusr ine iiiini: 1 ail) eixle
vessels of thirteen tliousind eight hundred
and twenty tons burden in the northern
w I i a le fishery, and one hundred and twen-tv-one
vessels of fourteen thousand and
oring to avoid, lor living reasons which none
can gainsay so in t another word on this
topic. A jew stuut lu gs, the pot compan
ions of then ioiiters. coomb-tod mn i...
twei tv tons in the southern, w hich were ; i . .
, , . ; h' t no one turn up his nose at even a sv u-
uavigated bv four thousand ami liftv-nine
men ; the produce of the fishery at that
time amounting to 350.000, lawful
money, or ,s 1 ,1(50.000. At this time, a
large portion of the spermaceti oil was
sent to Kngland in an unseparated state,
the head mattter being generally mingled
with the oil of the body, commanding, as
it did, the same price when in a mixed,
as in a separate state. A considerable
portion of the oil procured from the right
whale was shipped to Boston, or other
parts of our American colonies, for inland
consumption, or was exported to the West
Indies. The manufacture of sperm can
dles, which was first commenced in Rhode
Island, in 1750, was carried on to a con
siderable extent in New England and
Philadelphia, and tended to furnish a mo
tive for the fishermen to procure this spe
cies of matter.
fellow vd) ager. A friend of mine and his
family had the misfortune to bo out ten da)s
in the least of all these cockle boats, in inak-
: ing the passage from one island to am tiier.
Towaids the hist of the time it began to be
a set ions alhiir, and hunger stared them in
the face. To such an extremity were they
driven, that they held a consultation as to
what they should have to eat. The result
was that one of their number, in order to
save the lives r.f the remainder was doomed
to cut the throat of a porker, whose
layers of fat, the result of many years high
feeding, supplied them with fiul to cook the
lean withal a Jack Sprat process which
would hae shocked Epicurus, if he had not
been as hungry as my worthy friend.
The wind not proving fair, our voyage
was prolonged, with all tho usual disngreea
blencss incidental to such trips. At times
the calabash contained more than its u
quantum of dirt even to make it agrecu1
to an Hawaiian stomach; then lias nt ti
manner with which a young porker, or sun
nosed little puppy intruded its snout into in
owner's face, with a glance so particular
expressive of ' give me some," struck v
as singularly pastoral and alecti"iiitir:-
When you have awaked from your sea-i.
trance, with a keen -sense of a vaciiitm
far from the region of the internal man, m
garly yclept the stomach, and looked i:
greedy eyes into your basket, and founi)
nothing, have you not been satisfied tr
kanakas are fond of something rise hrsifi
" poi ?" Have not your ears dwelt in Ii
ing wonder upon the mystic sounds
" boomegui " as they are shouted even'
anon by the skipper, and echoed from
to stern. If you hac never c.xprrM'iireib
this, why you can any day, by paying Ii
dollars, for the privilege of the goln-t la
you can select upon the deck of tlicg
packet Spy, Jihsheet master.
Hut seriously, I know of few sitnii'i1'
where a man feels more dependent upo'ii:
care of Ilim. who in let h the storm. d'
bid the wrathful waves 41 peace, no still
than in one of the small and illy pi""'
craft that ply about theso islands, with if"'
rant, careless crews, dozing over their I'l''
and as is frequently the case, with nlf
in sight, and nothing but the stars, or mm'
perfect compass to guide them Pl",
may, their puny vess- Is are ever to li'l""'
bulleting the waves; their crews, repanl'f
of time spent, and the Captain aireliil"1
fr his expected gains, push boldly
sea, tnistiiiL' one would think, in Tu'1"
fatality, rather than in skill or wcuther, i'1'
generally arrive in safety at tin ir !""
rts. hike the Osmanlis, the Ciipti'i"
regular and consistent in their devote
and whatever may he the condition ot1
vessel, at sunrise or sunset the cre'
assembled aft, while he lifts his voice
thanksgiving for mercies past, and prny'
protection to come. Callous must hr 1
heart that can w itness these hut half-'"llU
'd heathen, thus addressing the one t"
Jehovah, and not feel the spirit "f
warm within him. From whatever i'"1
it I.I HI' arljii it ... ...,. Till Mild""
ihi.tv, it is in unci; a giuiv."' -
pressiv custom. .
I& s tt'gfoot again upon terra
one fli'dd it. ..1. 1. nu : i. ns 2
chance oC living cut his davs, as other w
4