The new South Sea fishery

lwlpr33264 (1024x703)

A satire ridiculing the first Nootka Convention in which Spain conceded England’s right to maintain outposts in Nootka Sound and engage in whaling outside a “ten-league line” off the Northwest coast of North America. In a small row boat on the Pacific and facing the west coast of North American, Pitt stands fishing with a rod baited with a sack labelled “3 million genl. elc”. Beside him in the boat is Henry Dundas holding another sack labelled “million gen. elec” and beside him in the back of the boat, a third sack also labelled “million gen elec”. Selected points along the shore from the Sea of Kamtschatka and Bristol Bay (north) to New Mexico are identified with no attempt at try scale: Nortons Sound, Alaska, Cooks River, Ps. William Sound, Spanish Land, Nootka or King Georges Sound, New Albion, California. Off the coast of Alaska are shown the islands Arako and Foxes Is. Whales surface above the water inside the buoys with flags reading “10 leagues”. In the upper left is a galley “Convention”. Pitt says “I fear Harry the fishing will never answer.” Dundas replies, “Never mind tha Billy the gudgeons we have caught in England will pay for all.”

  • PrintmakerCruikshank, Isaac, 1756?-1811?, printmaker.
  • TitleThe new South Sea fishery, or, A cheap way to catch whales [graphic] / J. Cruikshanks fect.
  • PublicationLondon : Pub. Jany. 4, 1791, by H. Humphries, N. 18 Old Bond St., [4 January 1791]

Catalog Record & Digital Collection

791.01.04.01++

Acquired October 2015