Historical Geography of Whaling in Bequia Island, West Indies Author(s): John Edward Adams Source: Caribbean Studies, Vol. 11, No. 3 (Oct., 1971), pp. 55-74 Published by: Institute of Caribbean Studies, UPR, Rio Piedras Campus Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25612403 Accessed: 28-03-2015 16:00 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
[email protected]. Institute of Caribbean Studies, UPR, Rio Piedras Campus is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Caribbean Studies. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 132.174.254.12 on Sat, 28 Mar 2015 16:00:32 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions CARIBBEAN STUDIES / VOL. 11, NO. 3 55 HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF WHALING IN BEQUIA ISLAND, WEST INDIES * John Edward Adams Throughout most of the 19th century American whaling vessels based at lower New England ports made regular cruises to Caribbean waters in search of sperm whales (Physeter catodon), humpbacks (Megaptera nodosa), and pilot whales or blackfish (Globecephalus melas). The most popular whale hunting ground in the Caribbean extended from the south Windward Islands to the north coast of South America, including St.