6 WHALE-FISHEllY. 



tors in tlie risk and. advantages of these northern ex- 

 peditions. Thus, according to these writings, the 

 Basques and Biscayans, then the English, and af- 

 terwards the Dutch, were the nations who first prac- 

 tised the fishery for the whale. Some researches 

 on the origin of this fishery, carried on in the north- 

 ern seas, however, will be sufficient to rectify the 

 error of these conclusions, by proving, that the 

 whale-fishery by Europeans may be traced as far 

 back, at least, as the ninth century *. 



Oppien, in his treatise dc Piscatu, has left some 

 details of the ancient whale-fishery, which, however, 

 we shall pass over ; because he seems to refer prin- 

 cipally, if not altogether, to the smaller species of 

 whales of the genus Dclpkinus. We, therefore, 

 go on to authority which is more respectable. 



The earliest authenticated account of a fishery 

 for whales, is probably that contained in Ohthere's 

 Voyage by Alfred the Great. This voyage was un- 

 dertaken about the year 890 by Ohthere a native 

 of Halgoland, in the diocese of Dronthein, a per- 

 son of considerable wealth in his own country, from 

 motives of mere curiosity, at his own risk, and un- 

 der his o^\^l personal superintendence. His enter- 

 prise was communicated by the navigator himself to 

 King Alfred, who preserved it, and has handed it 



* Noel. 



