1635.] CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY. SL 



ance among these devoted people, and by the be- 

 ginning of March, had, by its dreadfiil ravages, 

 destroyed the whole party *. The names of each 

 of the fourteen men who suffered in the two 

 trials, are perpetuated ; but of the names of those 

 who successfully encountered the severities of the 

 arctic winter, I have not met with any notice. Nei- 

 ther does it appear what were the encouragements 

 which stimulated those hardy adventurers to un- 

 dertake the hazardous enterprise, though it is very 

 evident the inducements must have been consi- 

 derable. 



In the year 1635, the Russia Company was en- 

 dowed by Charles the First, with the exclusive 

 right of importing the oil and fins of whales. 

 This indulgence was merely a confirmation of the 

 proclamation of the 1 7th of James the First, with 

 the restriction, that the fishery should be prosecuted 

 by this company in its joint stock capacity only f . 



The bold and unconscious manner in which the 

 whales resorted to the bays and sea-coasts at this 

 period, their easy and expeditious destruction, the 

 consequent regularly productive state of the fish- 

 ery, together with the immense herds in which 

 the whales appeared, in comparison of the number 



D 2 



* Churchill, vol. ii. 427,-8. ; and Anderson's Commerce, 

 *. D. 1634 ; also, Beschryving der Walvisvangst, vol. ii. p. 31. 



+ Anderson's Commerce, a. d. iGSn. 



