COMPARATIVE VIEW. ENGLAND. 107 



points, however, are not correct, as appears from the 

 statements ofElking, in his " View of theGreen- 

 " land Trade and Whale-fishery," who attempts to 

 prove, that the EngUsh " are able to carry on the 

 " fishery trade to more advantage than any other 

 " nation." The first point of advantage the Dntch 

 have been supposed to possess over the British, El- 

 king does not allude to. As to the second, while he 

 admits the fact, he shows it may be equally applied 

 to the benefit of the British*. The third he de- 

 nies, observing, that the Dutch have not a sufficient 

 number of seamen among their own subjects, but are 

 obliged yearly, to have many thousands of the most 

 necessary and skilful hands from Jutland, Holstein, 

 Scotland, Norway, Bremen, Oldcnberg, &c. who, af- 

 ter the fishery is over, cany the money they have 

 earned back with them, and thereby serve to impo- 

 rerisli the country in one way, while, by their 

 services, they enrich it in another. The fourth 

 point, Elking likevvise combats. If their ships be 

 cheaper than the English, he contends, that they 

 are all less durable and not so strong f . He denies 

 that they can fit them cheaper, having scarcely any 

 article suitable for building or equipping a ship which 

 is the produce of their own country. Hence, they 

 must import iron, timber, planks, masts, hemp, tar, 

 and almost every kind of provisions, all of which, 



* Elking, p. 57. t Idem, p. 50. 



