Whalers.
Foo.
13
2. An invitation to other Powers to take part in the proposed Conference would imply that His Majesty's Government are in favour of restrictive measures on the destruction of whales, but before committing themselves to such a policy they would desire to know how far your Government would be in favour of it. They would suggest that, even if any general measure of restriction is impossible, it would seem desirable that any further licences, leases, or other facilities for whaling which may be granted should be of duration limited to, say, five years at most, or preferably to three years, and it will of course be a matter for consideration how far local con- ditions in regard to the supply of whales justify the grant of
further facilities any at all.
3. I have also to request that you will furnish me with information in regard to the whaling industry carried on from the [Dominion] [Commonwealth} [Union] [Colony] whether in its territorial waters and the adjacent high seas or in distant places, including particulars with regard to the number of whaling steamers, floating factories and shore factories, the number and nature of licences and leases and the nationality of their holders, with references to the law and regulations affecting the industry.
I have, &c.,
£
•
1. "Rethval" Co.
Falkland
"Palmer"
100
"Powell."
2. "Haugesund " Co.
One...
Two
100
3. "Thule" Co.
Thule
Two
100
4. "Hektor" Co.
Ronald
"Port Stanley"
100
"Bransfield."
5. (J. Bryde, Sandefjord)
One...
Two
100
SANDWICH ISLANDS.
1. "Thule" Co.
One...
Two
100
2. "Albatros" Co.
3. (A. Nilsen, Sandefjord)
4. "Normanna" Co. ...
5. "Kosmos" Co.
6. (Lars Christensen, Sande-
fjord).
One...
Two
100
Southern Cross
"Cetus"
100
"Piscis."
Normanna...
"Normann I."
100
"Normann II."
One
One...
Two Two
100
100
23237
No. 8.
L. HARCOURT.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference:
C.O. 885
15591
SIR,
No. 6.
COLONIAL OFFICE to BOARD OF TRADE.
[Answered by No. 16.]
Downing Street, 10 July, 1912. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to transmit to you a copy of corres- pondence* between this Office and the Foreign Office with regard to the question of the protection of whales, and to inform you that Mr. Harcourt will be obliged if the Board of Trade will take the matter into consideration and furnish him with their observations upon the various points raised.
Mr. Harcourt has received from the Foreign Office a copy of the Board's letter of the 10th of May.†
15591
No. 7.
H. J. READ,
I am, &c.,
for the Under-Secretary of State.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNORS-GENERAL AND GOVERNORS.
(Canada.)
(Australia.)
(New Zealand.)
(Confidential.)
SIR,
MY LORD,
[Answered by Nos. 14, 15, 18, 20 and 25.]
(Union of South Africa.) (Newfoundland.)
Downing Street, 11 July, 1912.
I HAVE the honour to transmit to [Your Royal Highness] [Your Excellency] [you] for the consideration of your Ministers, a copy of correspondence* with the Foreign Office in regard to a proposal that steps should be taken with a view to con- vening an international conference to consider the question of the protection and preservation of whales. I enclose a copy of Protocol No. 11 of the International Fur-seal Conference held at Washington in 1911, which is referred to in the corres- pondence.
Nos. 2, 3, and 5.
† Enclosure 1 in No. 4.
MEMORANDUM BY MR. G. P. FARRAN ON THE BLACKSOD WHALING STATION, ELLY POINT, CO. MAYO.
(Received in Colonial Office, 24 July, 1912.)
The whales taken at the station are mainly finners and sei whales, but blue whales, humpbacks, sperms, and right whales are occasionally captured. The catch this year up to my visit on July 9th was 10 finners, 2 blue whales, and 2 sperm whales. Many whales have been seen off the coast but they were all going north at a rapid rate without stopping to feed. The procedure at the station is that, when the catch is brought in, two whales are drawn up on the flensing plane at a time, the remainder being moored to a buoy in the bay until these have been disposed of. The blubber is first removed, and, passing through a slicing machine, is carried in an elevator to the top of the blubber house.
The blubber house contains four large open boilers for the first boiling. They have an average size of 7 feet 6 inches diameter by 12 feet high, and are made to fit inside each other for convenience of transit.
For the second boiling there are four smaller open boilers averaging 7 feet
6 inches in diameter by 5 feet high, and for the final treatment of the solid residue there is a closed pressure boiler 7 feet 6 inches diameter by 10 feet high.
The blubber is boiled for eight hours and the oil is drawn off into settling tanks to cool. There are three settling tanks with a total capacity of 200 barrels.
The four boilers for the first boiling are ample to deal with the blubber of two finners, and one boiler will sometimes take the blubber of a whole whale. The yield from a finner is usually about 30 barrels, but one may occasionally yield as much as 60 barrels.
The contents of a large boiler after the boiling is completed are about one-third oil, one-third glue water, and one-third solid residue.
After removal of the blubber the meat of the whale is cut up and boiled for 8-10 hours by compressed steam at a pressure of 60 lbs. in six boilers 8 feet diameter by 13 feet 6 inches high. The bones are boiled in a boiler of the same size, but without the horizontal plates which are present in the meat boilers. The dark opaque oil which, together with a small quantity of glue water, collects in the bottom of the boilers is drawn off into two small settling tanks.
The boiled meat is taken to the horizontal tunnel dryer, 35 feet long by 5 feet diameter, heated by a furnace to which it acts as flue. This dryer has a drying capacity of 120 bags a day, and is ample for the output of six meat [boilers] and one bone boiler. If its length were 50 feet, which, as Captain Bruun informs me, is the length they are now being made, it would serve for 12 boilers.
The drainings of the flensing plane are collected and boiled in two large masonry tanks situated below it, into which steam is led. The oil coming to the surface is skimmed off and boiled in two small vats, whence it is ladled directly into barrels.
22 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC_ COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO.
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