CONTESTED RIGHT OF FISHING GROUND. 161 



whale-fishery upon this coast, the ground was 

 resorted to by vessels from almost all the mari- 

 time powers of Europe. The whales having 

 been then very little molested, resorted to the 

 bays and sounds in great numbers, and the ships 

 in consequence remained in port instead of keep- 

 ing the sea, as is done at present, and pursued 

 their occupation in boats despatched from the 

 ships at anchor. There was in consequence a 

 continual interference between the boats of the 

 several nations ; and jealousies arose, which soon 

 heightened into contentions of a serious cha- 

 racter. Ships went armed, and, latterly, powerful 

 fleets for those days, were sent out, and the weak- 

 est were either plundered of their cargoes or 

 obliged to quit the ground. At one time the 

 English were masters of the coast, at another 

 the Dutch ; so that the warfare between the 

 vessels of different nations appears to have been 

 almost incessant. Companies for the prosecu- 

 tion of this species of commerce were esta- 

 blished in the several countries, and royal pa- 

 tents granted, securing to each the exclusive 

 privilege of fishing in those seas. Each nation 

 claimed to itself the right of so doing from 

 priority of discovery, or some such pretext. The 

 English maintained theirs from the alleged dis- 

 covery of Spitzbergen by Sir Hugh Willoughby ; 



M 



