Thanks. One of the first tax revolts in the New York Colony was over
the 1/6 or so of beached whale rendered to oil to be paid to the New
York government in the "city". Many thought it an undue tax and
without representation (that east end of Long Island is at least 80 or
90 miles away in Suffolk County) in the outcome of local government I
think began to refuse to pay it. It was also I think in reference to
"beached whales" and tough to enforce. It may also had been a
misunderstanding about methods of harvest. Later in the 19th century
other towns on Long Island became whaling ports, Greenport out on the
north fluke of the native thought fish-shaped island and in Cold
Spring Harbor, which today is home to the world famous biology
research laboratories. I was thinking there might be some other
earlier dates, but I imagine they might be early on at Nantucket
Island (the Macy's company was started by one of their whalers, after
four or five business failures its written) and elsewhere. Some of the
native materials found "out there" have "harpoon" looking  artifacts,
though thought maybe for smaller coastal fish. Thanks.