X PREFACE. 



the Spitzbergen or Greenland Whale-Fishery. It 

 consists of two distinct parts, each occupying a 

 volume. The first rfelates to the progress of Dis- 

 covery in the Arctic Regions, and the Natural 

 History of Spitzbergen and the Greenland Sea ; 

 the second is devoted to the Whale-Fishery as 

 conducted in the Seas of Greenland and Davis' 

 Strait. 



Numerous authorities have been consulted in 

 preparing these sheets for publication, and in all 

 cases, as far as I am aware, a proper reference has 

 been made to the works from which any infor- 

 mation has been derived. For a small but inte- 

 resting Memoire by M. S. B. J. Noel, Sur VAn- 

 tiquite de la peche de la Baleine, from which I 

 have drawn some valuable historical information, 

 I was indebted to the kindness of M. Noel de 

 la Moriniere, author of an extensive work on An- 

 cient and Modern Fisheries, now in the course of 

 publication in France. Access to some valuable 

 works which I had not in my own possession, 

 and diflFerent acts of kindness or assistance were 

 afforded me by the Kight Honourable Sir Joseph 

 Banks, Professor Jameson, P. Neill, Esq. Dr 

 Traill, and my Father. By means of some va- 



