fered terribly from the impressment of
seamen, then the embargo, and finally by the second war with England,
during which many vessels were captured. This over, the place began in
earnest its distinctive career.

[Illustration: FISH ISLAND.]

[Illustration: SEAMEN'S BETHEL AND SAILOR'S HOME.]

[Illustration: MERCHANTS' AND MECHANICS' BANK.]

A few words as to the history of whaling in America. Capt. John Smith
makes mention of catching a few whales on some of his voyages, and it is
known that the Indians had quite a passion for hunting the whale, or
_powdawe_ as they called it. The Montauk Indians regarded the fin or
tail of a whale as a rare sacrifice to their deity. As the early
settlers began to spread throughout New England, it became quite an
industry along the sea-shore to hunt stranded whales for their oil and
blubber. This naturally led to hunting them in their native element, and
the industry extended along Cape Cod and Long Island, and, about 1672,
was introduced on the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. About
fifty years later the brave Nantucket seamen began whaling in large
boats, and within the following twenty-five years Nantucket had direct
communication with England in her ships. These brave early mariners were
the first who understood and made use of the Gulf Stream, and by them it
was explained to the English admiralty. At the opening of the Revolution
there were one hundred and fifty vessels that sailed from Nantucket; but
at the close of the war one hundred and thirty-four of these had been
captured and fifteen more wrecked. The war also cost this island twelve
hundred sailors, and was the making of two hundred and two widows and
three hundred and forty-two orphans.

[Illustration: RESIDENCE OF JOSEPH GRINNELL.]

[Illustration: FRIENDS MEETING-HOUSE.]

In the year 1815 there sailed from Nantucket fifty whalers, while only
ten sailed from New Bedford. But the New Bedford fleet increased rapidly
year by year, reaching the climax in 1852, when two hundred and
seventy-eight sailed. From that date there has been an almost
uninterrupted decline in the whaling industry. Nantucket's decline
began many years earlier. In 1860 she had only very few vessels left,
and in 1872 her last whaler, the bark "Oak," was sold. In 1835 whaling
was at its height, the whole fleet of the United States consisting of
six hundred and seventy-eight ships and barks, thirty-five brigs, and
twenty-two schooners, va