1618.] CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY. 3S 



than their ships could carry *. The cannon and 

 some other articles were restored to the owners on 

 the arrival of the ships in England. 



The Dutch, determined, in spite of the opposi- 

 tion received from the English, to pursue a com- 

 merce which promised such striking personal, as 

 well as national, advantage, in 1617, procured a 

 renewal of their charter for four years, whereby 

 were incorporated two or three companies, formed 

 in different States of the United Provinces. This 

 charter interdicted any other persons in the country 

 from participation in the trade, under the penalty 

 of 6000 guilders for each ship, together with the 

 confiscation of the vessel and cargo. From the 

 substance of this charter, it appears, that the Dutch 

 had, prior to this period, resorted to Jan JVIayen 

 Island, for the pm'pose of fishing for whales f . 



With a view to make the whale-fishery trade 

 more general, King James, who had then succeeded 

 to the throne of England, in 1618, granted a pa- 

 tent, whereby he embodied a number of English, 

 Hcotfi and Zealand adventurers. This charter, how- 

 ever, appearing to militate against the privileges of 

 the Russia and East India Companies, who had 

 been at the greatest expence in the discoveryand esta- 



VOL. II. c 



* Purchas, vol. iii. p. 4G7j-8. 



+ Beschryving der W.ilvisvangst, vel. i. p. 6'- 



