66 WHALE-i'ISHEUY. 



When, by the lapse of some years, the iinfa- 

 voiirahlc impression produced on the minds of spe- 

 culative persons, by the immense losses suffered 

 by English ad^ enturers in the whale-fishery, had 

 partly worn off, the propriety of attempting this 

 trade became a subject of conversation among the 

 Directors of the well known South Sea Company. 



This subject was introduced, it appears, by Hen- 

 ry Elking, a person who had had long experience 

 in tlie trade * ; who suggested it as a most desir- 

 able speculation to the then sub-govenior of the 

 South Sea Company, Sir John Eyles ; and so im- 

 pressed him with the opinion of its practicability, 

 that he proposed it to the company in January 

 1721 f. The proposition was received and discus- 

 sed with considerable warmth ; and though it was at 

 length carried, some members, " without whose con- 

 '' currcnce it was impossible to proceed .]:," again ex- 

 pressed their doubts, and withheld their complete 

 sanction. In consequence of this, Sir John Eyles ad- 

 dressed a letter to ^Ir Elking, requesting him to lay 

 before the Court of Directors, in writing, the argu- 

 ments and principles upon wliich he considered that 

 this company might succeed in the fishery, when so 

 many persons before them had totally failed. El- 

 king, therefore, drew up his tract, entitled, " A 

 " ^'^iew of the Greenland Trade and ^^^hale-fishe- 



* Elking, p. 19. t Idem, p. 12. ^ TJem, p. 13. 



