54s WHALE-FISHERY. 



Prior to the time when the trade was laid open, 

 the Jan Mayen whale-fishery, like that of Spitz- 

 bergen, had attained its maximum *. The fish- 

 ermen, by much experience, having become very 

 dexterous in their profession, while the whales, yet 

 unwary, assembled around this barren Island in vast 

 profusion, produced such a prodigious destruction 

 among them, that it is confidently affirmed, that 

 one of the northern company's ships, commanded 

 by a William Ys, made two voyages, and took 

 home two complete cargoes, of 1000 barrels of oil 

 each, in one year |. After this time, however, the 

 fishery at Jan Mayen began to fall into decay. 

 The whales, incessantly annoyed, withdrew to re- 



years of the monopoly, as employing at least thirty vessels. 

 If De Witt be correct, therefore^ a ten-fold increase will make 

 the fleet in subsequent years to have increased to three hun- 

 dred sail. And, as these ships were double manned, they must 

 have carried about sixty men each, which, multiplied by 300, 

 the number of vessels employed, gives the total of their crews, 

 18,000 men! Lieven Van Aitzina, quoted by De Witt, indeed 

 says. That the Dutch Whale-fishery employed vipwards of 

 12,000 men, at the same time that the English did not send a 

 single ship, which was about the period referred to. It is 

 therefore probable, that the above estimate may not be very 

 wide of the truth. See Macpherson, vol. ii. p. 290. ; and 

 Beschryving der Walvisvangst, vol, i. p. 28. 



• Forster's Northern Discoveries, p. 422, 



t Beschryving, vol. i. p. 28. 



