Where the Whalers Went



​British whalemen voyaged extensively in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.  Below are reproduced a series of Sections from Table LVI of J. W. Norie's 1835 'Complete Epitome of Navigation' detailing the major Ports, Harbours, Places, Islands, Shoals and Rocks in these oceans.  The content has been sourced from 'A Complete Epitome of Practical Navigation. Latitudes and Longitudes of the Principal Ports, Harbours, Capes, Shoals, Rocks, &c. in the World reckoned from the Meridian of Greenwich.'  By J W Norie (11th edition) 1835.   

The Americans similarly sought to capture the knowledge uncovered by their whalemen.  In September 1828 Jeremiah N. Reynolds forwarded a Report to Samuel L. Southard, Secretary of the Navy outlining the fruits of a visit to New London, Stonington, Newport, New Bedford, Edgartown, Nantucket and other places where information might be found of the Pacific Ocean and South Seas.  He updated this in 1835. The information was printed as a United States Senate Public Document Volume lll Document no. 262 on pages 55-87 and is linked here as a Searchable PDF document.   ​

Both documents digitized By GOOGLE  whose efforts are gratefully acknowledged.

A very useful Gazetteer to Obsolete Pacific place names can also be found on this page created by the Pacific Manuscripts Bureau.

Where the Whalers Went

Sketch of Buka Bay on the south-east side of Rottee [Roti] Island - from the collection of the BSWF Website Administrator

​The Indian Ocean and from Sumatra to New Guinea

Section XVI. Islands, Rocks and Shoals, in the Indian Ocean pp. 312-315

Section XVII. Islands, Rocks and Shoals, between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, from Sumatra to New Guinea pp. 315-321​

The Bonin Islands from the Log of the Lady Amherst in the Collection of the New Bedford Whaling Museum

​The North and South Pacific Oceans

Section XIX. The Coast and Adjacent Islands from Canton to Cape North [including the islands to the E and SE of Japan]

Section XXI. Islands, Rocks and Shoals, in the North Pacific Ocean pp. 327-330

Section XXII. Islands, Rocks and Shoals, in the South Pacific Ocean pp. 330-335​
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The American whaleship Essex struck and sunk by a whale off the South American West Coast from the Collection of the Nantucket Historical Association

​The West Coast of America from Cape Horn to Canada; the South Atlantic and Southern Ocean; and the West Coast of Africa 

Section XXIII. The West Coast of America from Cape Horn to Canada pp. 335-337​

Section XIV. Islands, Rocks and Shoals in the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic or Southern Ocean pp. 306-308​

​Section XIII. The Coast of Africa from the entrance to the Mediterranean to the Cape of Good Hope pp. 305-306​