CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY. 5 



end of this cord they attached one of the buoys 

 used in their common fishing occupations, it woukl 

 point out the place of the wounded animal, fatigue 

 it in its motions, and would possibly goad it on to 

 produce such a degree of exhaustion, that it might 

 fall an easy prey to these adventurous fishermen. 

 One of these animals being thus captured, and its 

 value ascertained, the prospect of emolument would 

 be sufficient to establish a fishery of the cetaceous 

 tribe, and lead to all the beneficial effects which 

 have in modern times resulted. 



Historians, in general, it has been observed, have 

 given to the Biscayans the credit of having first suc- 

 ceeded in capturing the whale upon the high sea. 

 Those authorities, indeed, may be considered as un- 

 questionable, which inform us, that the Basques and 

 Biscayans, so early as the year 1575, exposed them- 

 selves to the perils of a distant navigation, with a 

 view to measure their strength with the whales, in 

 the midst of an clement constituting the natu- 

 ral habitation of these enormous animals ; that the 

 English in 1594, fitted an expedition for Cape Bre- 

 ton, intended for the fishery of the whale and the 

 walrus (seahorse), pursued the walrus-fishing in suc- 

 ceeding years in high northern latitudes, and in 

 1611 first attacked the whale near the shores of 

 Spitzbergen ; and that the Hollanders, and subse- 

 quently, other nations of Europe, became participar 



