PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
19
Reference :-
། ། ། ། mimimmimC.O. 885
23 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
168
APPENDIOB6.
"4th January. The whale carcasses are being blown about by the wind. The shore is getting greasy from the escaping blubber from the slip and the moored carcasses.
"5th January. Seventeen blubber boilers were at work, a record for the station. We have nearly worked off the arrears of whales and are moor- ing fewer carcasses than previously.
"7th January. Saw twelve whales, and we have now worked off the arrears of old carcasses; though still casting some out to be moored."
In connexion with this subject of waste it is important to note that in the season of 1911-12 the only companies which obtained more oil than one could esti- mate their catches to yield were the two that killed the fewest whales.
It will be noted also that both in 1911-12 and in 1913-14 the floating factories obtained relatively less oil from their whales than did the shore stations. The only exception to this rule is the yield of the Southern Whaling & Sealing Com- pany, Limited, in the season of 1911-12; this case has already been commented on at p. 165 above.
The yield obtained by most of the companies with shore etations during the season of 1913-14 shows a marked improvement upon the corresponding output of 1911-12. The diminution of the number of whales to be dealt with has, I am inclined to think, obviated much of the waste which formerly occurred at shore stations.
On comparing the figures given in Table IV. three very remarkable changes will be seen to have taken place in the season of 1913-14 as compared with the results of 1911-12. The oil output of the Southern Whaling & Sealing Company, Limited, instead of presenting a surplus of 9 per cent. as compared with the esti- mated yield, now shows a deficiency of 17.4 per cent.-the biggest deficiency of all. The deficiency in the case of Messrs. Bryde & Dahl has increased from 11.8 per cent. to 14.4 per cent. The surplus of the Ocean Whaling Company has declined from the very high level of 18.5 per cent, to one of 4 per cent. The catches of the two last-named companies are only of about half the number of the earlier season; The that of the first-named company is relatively no larger than in 1911-12. catches of these, like those of the other companies, consisted in 1913-14 chiefly of finners and blue whales instead of humpbacks as in 1911-12; and, of course, it may be that the substitution of a fewer number of larger whales for a larger number of smaller ones has not obviated the waste (if any) of 1911-12, but has, by increas- ing the labour and difficulty of flensing, tended to induce a more wasteful method of reduction. But if this be so the burden must have fallen equally on the other companies; and it is curious that the results of all the other companies should show improvement in this respect in 1913-14 and not deterioration.
Reports from four of the companies on the whales killed by them at South Georgia during the season of 1913-14 have been received by the British Museum. The following is a list of these companies with particulars of the periods covered by their respective reports :-
Tönsberg Whaling Company, 18th November, 1913, to 29th January, 1914. Southern Whaling & Sealing Company, Limited. 26th November, 1913, to
11th February, 1914.
Sandefjord Whaling Company. 13th December, 1913, to 19th January, 1914. Ocean Whaling Company. 11th December, 1918, to 15th May, 1914. The information in these reports concerning humpbacks, finners, and blue whales may be summarized as follows:-
Mules:-
Number caught
HUMPBACKS.
Tönberg Company.
Bouthern Company.
Sandefjord Company.
Ocean Company.
32
22
Average length of all
Immature
Average length of mature
((28) 45:46 ft.
Minimum mature
37 ft.
43 ft. (6) 30ft.—36ft. (1) 15 ft.
((20) 47-5 ft.
37.ft.
Maximum
50
71
55
14 39.14 ft.
(6) 30ft.—36 ft.
(8) 49.75 ft.
37. ft.
48
"
Females :-
Average of mature
Minimum mature Maximum
APPENDICES,
Tönsberg Company.
189
No thern
Sandefjord Company.
Ocean Company.
Company.
45 it.
(7) 30ft.-10ft.| (6) 28ft.-40ft.
42
48 11
(6).30-33 ft.
(5) 37 ft.
Number caught
Average length of all.. Immature
37 42.7 ft.
|(20) 28ft.—41 ft.] (4) 84ft.—40ft.
(17) 49.83 ft.
10 45.2 It.
(6) 50-4 ft.
12
40-66 ft.
18 42-33 ft.
(5) 46.8 ft.
{(10) 45 ft.
42 ft.
42 ft.
19
53 ft.
56,,
50 "
(6) 32.66 ft.
(1) 15 ft.
(6) 34-33 ft.
females
(20) 37.15 ft.
(4) 36.75 ft.
11
69
32
26
29
43
26
13
18
26
5
13
11
1
Average length of immature males
11
11
Total number caught Mature Immature
Not measured
Males:-
Number caught
*
Average length of all Immature
Average length of mature Minimum mature
Maximum
Females:-
Number oaught
Average length of all
Immature
Average length of mature
Minimum maiore Maximum
Average length of immature males
11
J1
Total number caught Hature
Immature
Not measured
females
FINNERS.
(7) 36-28
69.54 ft.
66
64.45 ft.
[(15) 47ft.—55 ft. (1) 50 ft.
(65) 64-67 ft.
57 ft.
70"
115
64.3 It. (11) 41ft.-55 ft. (104)65-84 ft.
56 It.
.75",
TH
58
69.54 ft.
[(62) 61-4 ft.
(none)
(37) 65.35 ft.
56 ft.
75
60 ft.
79
>>
52
(44) 62.13 ft.
(33) 65-69 ft.
57 ft.
76
11
67
69.4 ft.
(2) 49ft.-52 ft. (11) 39ft.-55 (t.
(15) 52-33 ft.
36
68.28 ft. (none) (35) 68-28 ft.
60 ft.
95
67-26 ft.
(13) 45ft.-54 ft. (82) 69-87 ft.
56 ft.
77
(66) 69.98 ft.
60 ft.
80
"I
(2) 50.5 ft.
75
21
(1) 50 ft.
((11) 61-45
"
|
(11) 49-72 ft. (13) 50-84,.
110%
70
101 100
210
2
26 14
186 24
144
142
* Five other finners (lengths 58 ft.-72 ft., average 62-6 ft.) were killed by the Southern Com- pany; the sex of these whales has not been recorded.
Males:
Number caught
Average length of all... Immature
Average length of mature
Minimum mature
Maximum
Females:-
Number caught
Average length of all
Immature
Average length of mature Minimum mature
Maximum
BLUE WHALES.
22
21
77.15 ft.
(90) 58.6 ft.
¡(18) 80-38 ft.
71 ft.
28 75.75 ft.
23 70-13 ft.
(9) 79 55 ft.
72 ft.
84
1
(4) 60ft.-64ft.(20) 35ft.—70 ft.Į (7) 65h.—70ft. (14) 49ft.-70 ft. (none) (21) 78:38 ft.
71 ft.
86
87 ft.
#1
8
76.62 ft.
14
73.85 ft.
25 63.6 ft.
25
71 ft.
(8) 56ft.-74 ft.(19) 50ft.-66 ft.) (3) 68ft.—75 ft.|(15) 54ft.-68 ft.
82-66 ft.
(6) 83 ft.
(5) 80-9 ft.
(10) 83.2 ft.
80 ft.
78 ft.
76 ft.
77 ft.
88 "
92
83
93
31
"3
31
females
(4) 62.5 ft. (8) 67.25 It.
(90) 58-6 ft.
(7) 67.85 ft.
((14) 64 tt
|(19) 57-47-ft.
(3) 70-66,,
((15) 62.86 ft.
49
36
48
6
26
12
39
10
+
185
19
29
14
36-35 ft.
(6) 26ft.—35 ft.
(8) 40-87 ft.
38 ft.
45
19
Average length of immature males
"
13
Total number caught
Mature ...
Immature
Not measured
"
J
(no sex of 3)