1623.] CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY. 41 



Though the joint speculation of tlie Russia and 

 East India Companies, in the Greenland wliale- 

 fishery in 1618, proved unsuccessful, they, neverthe- 

 less, made a second trial the following season, by 

 equipping nine ships and two pinnaces ; Lut a boat 

 with ten men, belonging to one of the ships, being 

 lost, one of the sliips cast away, and five fail- 

 ing of success, so discouraged them, that they 

 agreed to relinquish the trade. 



After this determination, four members of the 

 Russia Company compromised with the Society, 

 and fitted out, on their own responsibility, seven 

 ships in the year 1620 ; but on account of the num- 

 ber of Flemings and Danes in tlie northern har- 

 bours where they resorted to, they were induced to 

 remove from station to station, and were disappoint- 

 ed of a full lading. Their united cargoes amounted 

 to 700 tons of oil. In 1621, the same number of 

 vessels being sent out, succeeded rather better^ ha- 

 ving procured 1100 tons of oil ; the next season 

 they had very bad success ; and in the year 1623, 

 the last of their union, they procured 1300 tons of 

 oil. One of their largest ships was unfortunately 

 lost this season, and twenty of the men perished*. 



In the mean time, the Dutch pursued the 

 whale-fishery with more vigour than the Eng- 

 lish, and with still better effect. It was no un- 



*^ Purchaa, vol. iii. p. 470. 



