The Northern Star, And Constitutionalist

We learn from the master of a ship just arrived from the Pacific that three French Whalemen (one the John Jack) are cruising about in the South Seas in pursuit of whales, each having a crew of sixty men, (with eighteen guns on board.) among which is a surgeon, a chaplain, &c. &c., and that they are making boast at the islands, that as soon as they hear that war is declared, they will whip the oil out of our Yankee whale ships in the quickest time. This story is extensively told, and may be true. No one however believes that these French vessels were fitted out for the purpose of which they boast. Nothing is more common than for French and English vessels—especially whaleships—to carry a number of guns and their necessary tackle in the hold, to be drawn out for use at any moment. We advise those French chaps to get what oil they can, honestly, and go home or they will finally return empty—for war is not quite probable.—N. B. Gazette.