108 WHALE-nSHERY. 



either Britain or the colonies produce *. Besides, 

 wages of seamen, he declares to be lower in England 

 than in Holland. In the fomier, they are hii-ed 

 for 24*. or 2Qs. jper month ; in the latter, their 

 ordinary pay is 16 to 18 or 20 guilders j)cr month, 

 which is from 30*. to 40*. Sterling f. On the 

 other hand, he also shows, that the English have 

 many advantages over the Dutcli, particularly as far 

 as regards the ease with which the ships may be 

 loaded and discharged, compared with the Dutch^ 

 who have much expence in this respect j: ; and, on 

 tlie whole, he concludes, that the English might 

 save at least 50/. per ship on every voyage, which 

 the Dutch are obliged to pay ^^. Tlie iifth point 

 being equally practicable in Britain as in Holland, 

 requires no reply. If Elking's view of the subject 

 be correct, therefore, we are brought again to the 

 point where we commenced, and must attribute the 

 inferiority of the success of the English in the fish- 

 cry at this period, to a deficiency in the qualifica- 

 tions of the persons commanding the ships, or to 

 the unskilfulness of their crews ; to their want of 

 perseverance and confidence ; or to their energies 

 being ill applied, or imperfectly followed up. And 

 that some, or all of these causes, then operated in 

 producing the effect, appears from the present state 



* Elking, p. 51. t Idem, p. IHo. % Idem, p. 54. 



§ Idem, p. b5. 



