COMPARATIVE VIEW. 97 



sing, to attack the mysticetus, is derived from Al- 

 fred the Great's accoimt of the voyage of Ohthcre 

 the Norwegian, performed in the ninth century. 

 Though at the first sight, there may appear some 

 inconsistencies in Ohthere's narrative, yet with the 

 explanation I have already suggested, I conceive, 

 that the account of the prosecution of the whale- 

 fishery by the Norwegians, at this early period, may 

 be considered in the main" points as authentic. 



Four or five centuries later, we learn from various 

 historical notices, that the whale-fishery, as a gene- 

 ral occupation, was practised by different nations of 

 Europe, particularly the French, Spaniards, Fle- 

 mings, and probably the English ; and that, in the 

 course of the sixteenth century, the Basques and 

 Biscayans had established a successful fishery for 

 the fin-whales on their own coasts, and subsequently 

 pursued them, first to the coast of Iceland, where 

 the co-operation of the Icelanders was procured, and 

 ultimately to the neighbourhood of Greenland and 

 Newfoundland. 



Each of the nations which have at different times 

 attempted the Greenland fishery, will meet with a 

 share of our attention, and will be considered in the 

 order of their arrival on tiie coast of Spitzbergen. 



VOL. II. a 



