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Lecture on French Whaling at Whaling Museum, June 25 A LECTURE ON whaling, which was of more than ordinary interest to Nantucket, was presented at the Whaling Museum, June 25, before a group of fifty people. The lecturer was J. Thierry DuPasquier, of Paris, and the subject, The French Whalers, illustrated with slides, proved to be a most instructive and unusual evening for his listeners. Only a few months before, Mr. DuPasquier had published his book on the subject, Les Baleiniers Francais, a volume of some 360 pages, with 250 illustra tions, and tables, dealing with 19th century French whaling. The book has won him wide acclaim and recognition. He is now engaged on a se cond volume. A direct descendant of Jeremiah Winslow, a protege of William Rotch, of Nantucket, Pere Winslow, as he came to be known, remained in France after the Revolution. After the War of 1812, he went to LeHavre, where he revived the whaling business for France. His enter prise and acumen were described by the speaker, as well as the work of his associates in the growth of French whaling. The traditions in his family have been sustained by the young writer, and his remarks (in English) were carefully followed by his audience. Of course, the part played in French whaling by the Nantucket col ony who went to Dunkirk in 1785, was an important feature of the lec ture. William Rotch and his Nantucket fleet, the success of the migra tion from Nantucket to Dunkirk, the whalers around Cape Horn, the crushing effect of the terrible French Revolution on this enterprise were all a part of the talk. The lecture was open to the public by invitation of the Nantucket Historical Association. Although the timing conflicted with many weekend activities for potential listeners, the group appearing enjoyed the opportunity of hearing the gentleman from France, who was in troduced by Edouard A. Stackpole, the Association's Historian and the Director of the Peter Foulger Museum. The Whaling Museum's Direc tor, Renny Stackpole, who arranged for the presentation, extended the greetings of the Association to those attending the lecture.
