THE WHALE FISHERY. 37 



and adds, that " In the year 1611 the companie 

 set forth two ships for Greenland, &c, this was 

 the first year the companie set out for the killing 

 of whales in Greenland ; and, about the 12th 

 of June, the Biskayners killed a small whale 

 which yielded twelve tunnes of oyle, being the 

 first oyle that ever was made in Greenland."* 

 But to return to our own proceedings. 



Having no object in approaching Cherie 

 Island closely, we took advantage of an easterly 

 wind, and stood toward the south cape of Spitz- 

 bergen ; in doing which it became necessary to 

 pass through a wide belt of loose ice that had 

 been disengaged from the main body. To such 

 of our crew as had not before visited the Arc* 

 tic regions the scene that now presented itself 

 was novel and interesting, and the huge masses 

 of ice as they floated in succession past the 

 vessels, were regarded with peculiar attention ; 

 partly on account of their grotesque shapes, 

 but principally as they might assist us in form- 

 ing our judgment of the- nature of the barrier 

 which we anticipated might ultimately present 

 itself to our progress. 



The streams through which our course lay 

 consisted of small floes and pieces of ice, suf- 

 ficiently detached in general to admit of a 



* Purchas, p. 455. 



