1792.] CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY. 87 



In 1789 an alteration took place in the regula- 

 tion of the British fishery, relative to the time 

 "which the fishermen were obliged to stay in the 

 Greenland seas, unless they procured a certain spe- 

 cified portion of success, by an enactment, that 

 after the vessel had remained sixteen weeks in the 

 Greenland seas, (reckoned from the time of sailing) 

 she was at liberty to return home, and became en- 

 titled to the bounty, notwithstanding her success 

 might be less than the limited quantity *. By the 

 same act, masters of fishing ships were prohibited 

 from permitting any indentured apprentice to quit 

 his service before the expiration of hisapprenticeshi^?, 

 under the penalty of 50/. for each offence, unless 

 legally discharged or turned over ; and no ship was 

 to be entitled to bounty, unless the name of the ship 

 were inserted in each apprentice's indenture f . 



The acts for encouraging and regulating the fisher- 

 ies in the seas of Greenland and Davis' Straits, were 

 continued in 1791 with some trifling additions, for 

 one year more. 



The following session, the above and preceding 

 regulations and indulgences were re-enacted, ^vith 

 the reduction of the bounty to 25s. per ton, from 

 the 25th of December 1792 to the 25th of Decem- 

 ber 1795, and from this period until the expiration 

 of the act in 1798, to 20s. j9fr ton ; at which latter 

 rate it has continued ever since. By this act, ships 



* 29th Geo. III. c. 53. t Id. § 5, 6, & 7- 



