58 WHALE-FISHERY. 



lish shipping. But the oil imported by foreign 

 ships, was to be charged with 9/- Sterling per ton, 

 and the whalebone with 18/. y^fr ton of duty. In 

 consequence of this encouragement, some few pri- 

 vate attempts were made to revive the trade ; but 

 they, it seems, were attended with such indifferent 

 success, that in seven years the trade was again 

 entirely discontinued *. 



From 1672 to 167^, as likewise in the year 

 1691, the Dutch whale-fishery was suspended, in 

 consequence of war f. 



The act for the encouragement of the English 

 whale-fishery at Spitzbergen, was continued in 1690 

 for four years longer:}^ ; but as this did not effect the 

 equipment of a single ship, the plan of a joint-stock 

 company was again resorted to, as promising the 

 most probable prospect of the renewal of the trade, 

 and its prosecution with vigoiu- and success. Ac- 

 cordingly, in the year 1693, Sir William Scaven, 

 and forty-one persons more, having subscribed a 

 joint capital of 40,000/. were incorporated by 

 act of Parliament § for a term of fourteen years, un- 



* Anderson's Commerce, a. d. 1672. 

 t Beschryving, vol. i. p. 21. 

 X 2d William and Mary, c. 4. 

 § Idem, act 4tli & 5th c. I7, 



