COMPARATIVE YIEM'. ENGLAND. lOl 



which they rifled, not excusing even their own 

 countrymen, and permitted some French ships only 

 to pursue the fishing along with them, on the con- 

 sideration of a tribute of eight whales, which the 

 French agreed to pay to them. 



The two years next following, their success was 

 intlifferent ; but in I6l6 and 1617, they procured 

 superabundant cargoes ; twenty-two ships and four 

 pinnaces which they employed in the two years, ha- 

 ving made upwards of 3100 tons of oil. 



The East India Company, who had joined the 

 Russia Company in various northern voyages of 

 discovery, whereby they are said to have incurred 

 an expence of 120,000/., likewise joined them in 

 the Greenland fisliery ; which branch of commerce 

 was, for a short time, prosecuted by the two com- 

 panies in cx)mbination. They fitted out thirteen 

 ships in the year 1618, which proved an unfortunate 

 adventure ; for the Dutch being exasperated at the 

 seizure of their oil and fishing utensils on three se- 

 veral occasions, had assembled an armed fleet, with 

 the ostensible view of protecting their fishery ; but 

 finding a favourable opportunity for making reprisals, 

 they attacked the Knglish, killed a number of their 

 best men, and captured one of their ships, which, 

 however, on its arrival in Holland, was liberated by 

 the Dutch Government. These differences between 

 the English, Dutch, and other powers, were at 

 length settled, by making a division among the dif- 



