64
General Remarks.
Whaling at the South Shetlands is carried on under extremely dangerous con- ditions; no one perhaps realizes this better than the gunner. During the months of February and March, when the nights are very dark, it is most difficult to find the narrow entrance to Port Foster, and a light at this time of year is really essential. This fact does not seem to have appealed to them before. It is not sufficient to keep a light on the factory, as it is impossible to see it from outside the bay, and the high dark cliffs on the starboard side of the entrance, where the deepest water is, are the only guide to navigators. A shoal runs out for a considerable distance on the port side. The number of accidents shows the necessity of re-charting these waters, especially in Belgica Strait. From the reports I have had from time to time of the manner in which whaling is carried on in Belgica Strait, more control should he exercised over the operations in that locality. This opinion is supported by my previous report relative to the Odd Company, and the disproportionate quantity. of No. 1 oil, which can only be obtained from blubber. An ordinary factory equipped with about eight open and eight pressure boilers should turn out about 300 barrels of oil a day. In the case of the s.s. Orn" and the s.s." Bombay," as many as 400 barrels were filled in one day, which shows that the blubber is reduced in the pressure boilers in preference to tongues and jaw bones, which, presumably, are set adrift.
The time has now arrived when the industry in these waters will be centred in Belgica Strait. Last season seven factories went down for a short time only, and this year all were there, with the exception of those of the Hektor Company. The entire catch of the s.s. Bombay," s.s. "Orn," and others was obtained in the strait. At first, the principal difficulty was that of procuring fresh water; this has now been overcome by the vessels being fitted with condensers. The managers of the various factories, in'conversation with me regarding the utilization of more of the whale than is generally dealt with, agreed that it should at least be compulsory to use the tongues, jaw bones, and the greater part of the tail, as all the factories operating are able to do this. There is not much value in the carcass after these parts have been reduced, with the exception of the " in fat," which is generally mixed with the blubber for the production of No. 1 oil. Tongues, when taken fresh, are used for the same purpose.
65
II.
STATEMENT OF THE TOTAL PRODUCTION OF WHALE OIL, BALEEN, AND FERTILIZER AT
THE SOUTH SHETLANDS AND GRAHAM'S LAND DURING THE 1912-13 SEASON.
Name of Company.
Hektor-
Oil.
Value.
Baleen. Value. Gunno. Value.
Total.
Shore Station
S.S."Ronald "
Barrels. 14,500 19,500
£ 43.500
Tons.
£ Bags,
£
£
20)
600
950
570
44,670
58,500
30
900
59,400
Hvalen... Sydhavet
Tallenera de Magallanes Ornen
17,000 51,000 15,500 46,500 12,000 36,000 19,500 58,500
30
900
51,900-
25
500
47,000
21
500
36,500)
20
600
Nor Norge
18,000 54,000)
25
750
59,100 54,750
20,000 €6,666
50
1,000
67,666
Laboremus
24,000 70,000
40
1,200
71,200
New
Odd
19,250
57,750 19,160 57,470
25
750
58,500
20
400
57,870
Total
198,410 599,880 309 8,100 950
570
GO8,556
The return of oil obtained by the Hektor Whaling Company includes 3,032 barrels extracted from 139 whale carcasses.
III.
COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF BARRELS OF OIL OBTAINED FROM EACH WHALE DURING THE 1911-12 AND 1912-13 Seasons.
1911-12.
The Honourable
The Colonial Secretary,
Falkland Islands.
I have, &c.,
EDW. B. BINNIE,
Stipendiary Magistrate.
1912 13.
Name of Company.
Average.
Average.
Increase.
Whales.
Oil.
Whales.
Oil.
Hektor
502
Barrels. 15,000
30
570
Barrels. 19,500)
34
4
Hvalen ...
488
13,000
26
458
17,000
37
11
Ballenera de Magallanes
432
10,770
25
344
12,000
35
10
Sydhavet
396
14,000
35
428 15,500
36
I
Ornen
573
20,000
35
416
19,500
47
12
Norge
475 19,000
40
486
20,000
41
1
Nor
603
17,000
28
404
18,000
444
164
361
14,000
38
535
24,000
45
7
432 11,000 477 15,000
25
487
19,000
314 572
-19,160
39: 334
14
2
I.
STATEMENT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER AND CLASS OF WHALES CAPTURED IN THE TERRI- TORIAL WATERS OF THE SOUTH SHETLANDS AND GRAHAM'S LAND DURING THE 1912-13 SEASON.
Laboremus New Odd
Number and Class of Whale.
Name of Company.
Total.
24269
Right. Sperm,
Blue.
Fin,
Humpback. Bottlenose.
No. 31.
NEWFOUNDLAND.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
(Received 14 July, 1913.)
(Confidential.)
Government House, St. John's, 26th June, 1913.
WITH reference to your despatches, Confidential, dated the 12th March and 8th April last,* giving cover to documents relating to a proposed International Con-
Hektor-
S.S.Ronald "
S.S." Hektoria'
178
283
109
570
115
178
51
344
Hvalen...
Ballenera de Magallanes
Sydhavet
***
158
241
58
4.38
72
174
98
344
167
178
81
.428
Ornen
Nor
162
170
NO
416
237
82
404
Norge
Laboremus
New
144
247
95
486*
231
SIR,
230
7-1
535
172
217
98
487
Odd
125
300
117
572
Total
3
1,761 2,300
976
5,01-1
33292
3621 and 8248: not printed.
1
I PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
יווּן וּז
Reference :-
C.O. 885
22 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED. PHOTOGRAPHIC. COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
66
母