1786.] CHllONOLOGICAL HISTOIIY. 88 



" In the year 1785, the King of Denmark grant- 

 ed a bounty of about 30s. Sterling per ton to all 

 vessels in the Greenland and Icelandic fisheries, 

 on the condition of the ships being fitted out and 

 their cargoes sold in a Danish port. Foreign built 

 ships were employed, foreigners were encouraged 

 to promote the view, and even foreign manufac- 

 tures necessary for the Greenland fishery, were 

 allowed duty free *." 



With an act of the British Parliament of 1786, 

 were connected several additional regulations, re- 

 lative to the bounties offered to the Greenland and 

 Davis' Straits whale-fishers ; in which, the former 

 acts being embodied and improved, it was rendered 

 altogether so full, that it has ever since been con- 

 sidered as the fundamental act. By this statute, 

 the bounty was again reduced to 30s. per ton for 

 the five ensuing years, — ships of 150 tons burden, 

 if manned and equipped in proportion, were en- 

 titled to receive it, — no ship, after the year 1791, 

 however large, was to receive a bounty for more 

 than 300 tons, unless employed in the fishery 

 prior to the passing of this act. The act like- 

 wise declared and described how the vessels, to 

 be properly qualified, were to be owned, built and 

 navigated, and from what ports they might pro- 

 ceed, — it required, that each sliip be visited by 



tlic proper officers of the customs, and surveyed, to 



F 2 



* Oddy's European Commerce, p. 525. 



