86 WHALE-FISHERY. 



"bounties granted for tlie encouragement of the Bri- 

 tish whale-fisheries carried on in the Greenland seas 

 and Davis' Straits, from the year 1733, when boun- 

 ties were first given, to the end of 1785, had 

 amounted to 1,064,272/. 18^. 2d. for England, and 

 202,158/. 16^. l\d. for Scotland. 



The limitation of the bounty to 300 tons, wag 

 found to be a necessary measure, in consequence of 

 some very large vessels being sent out, with a de- 

 sign to enhance the benefit derived from the na- 

 tional bonus, without possessing the smallest ad- 

 vantage over vessels of more moderate dimensions, 

 in their suitableness for the fishery. From a list 

 published about this time, it appears, that in 1788, 

 255 British ships sailed for the whale-fishery, of 

 which 1 29 were of a burden under 300 tons, 97 of 300 

 to 350 tons, 16 of 350 to 400 tons, 11 of 400 to 

 500 tons, 1 of 5Q5 tons, and 1 of 987 tons *. 



This season the French fitted out two ships for 

 the Greenland fishery f . 



