annual catch of 40,000 barrels of oil was taken, which, at the
average price of L8 per barrel, will give some idea of the value
of the trade generally.

The Australian colonists, early in their career, found the sperm
whale fishery easy of access from all their coasts, and
especially lucrative. At one time they bade fair to establish a
whale fishery that should rival the splendid trade of the
Americans; but, like the mother country, they permitted the
fishery to decline, so that even bounties could not keep it
alive.

Meanwhile, the Americans added to their fleet continually,
prospering amazingly. But suddenly the advent of the civil war
let loose among those peaceable cruisers the devastating
ALABAMA, whose course was marked in some parts of the world by
the fires of blazing whale-ships. A great part, of the Geneva
award was on this account, although it must be acknowledged that
many pseudo-owners were enriched who never owned aught but
brazen impudence and influential friends to push their
fictitious claims. The real sufferers, seamen especially, in
most cases never received any redress whatever.

From this crushing blow the American sperm whale fishery has
never fully recovered. When the writer was in the trade, some
twenty-two years ago, it was credited with a fleet of between
three and four hundred sail; now it may be doubted whether the
numbers reach an eighth of that amount. A rigid conservatism of
method hinders any revival of the industry, which is practically
conducted to-day as it was fifty, or even a hundred years ago;