Help: John Leebrick?

Subject: John Leebrick?
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 26 Mar 00 - 06:07 AM

Hi Folks,

Any of you guru's out there got info on John Leebrick? I remember his name cropping up in association with whaling/sea shanties in the 60s. I have reference to three "Collected by Mr John Leebrick in the USA".

1. Davy Lowston

2. Come all ye Tonguers

3. New Zealand Whales

My impression is that he was a folklorist, but he may have collected those three as "incidentals" in general whaling research.

Can anyone help?

Sláinte - Sam (in NZ)

Subject: RE: Help: John Leebrick?
From: Kara
Date: 26 Mar 00 - 06:27 AM

what is a Tonguers ?

Subject: RE: Help: John Leebrick?
From: Billy the Bus
Date: 26 Mar 00 - 07:45 AM

Hi Kara,

In New Zealand, we had many shore whaling stations round the coast from the 1820s to 1850s. Whaleboats would row out to harpoon Southern Right Whales coming close into shore to breed. The whales would be towed ashore for the blubber to be stripped and the oild tried out. "Bay whalers" would work from sailing ships, often fro Right Whales, and town the catch into sheltered bays to flense.

"Tonguers" were groups of guys, often Maori, who would collect the skeletons after the "professional" whalers had finished, and collect more oil from the "leftovers" - this often included the whale's tongue, which would give a reasonable amount of oil.

Cheers - Sam