V2^ WHALE-FISHERY. 



whalebone at 80/. ^;C7' ton, exceeds in this one 

 year 700,000/! 



Though the profits to the merchants on this oc- 

 casion were singularly gi'eat, yet, on the average of 

 the four years, ending with 1817, we find the car- 

 goes brought from Greenland and Davis' Straits 

 were only 93 tons of oil, and 4 tons 12 cwt. of 

 whalebone pe?^ ship, value about 3700/. This, 

 though a degree of success which would have been 

 considered as very great fifty years ago, is now, 

 on account of the extraordinary increase which has 

 taken place in the expences of a whale ship, but 

 barely sufficient to afford an encouraging profit to 

 the adventurers. But when we consider, that 

 while the general profit reaped from the trade was 

 only moderate, some individuals and concerns have 

 been almost invariably successful ; it is clear, there- 

 fore, that some others must have been considerable 

 losers by this speculation. 



In a national view, however, the benefit has been 

 very different. In the five years ending with 1818, 

 about 68,940 tons of oil, and 3420 tons of whale- 

 bone, of British fishing, have been imported into 

 England and Scotland. If we calculate the oil at 

 36/. 10 A', pe?' ton, which was about the average 

 price, and the whalebone at 90/., and add to the 

 amount 10,000/., for the probable value of the 

 skins, and other articles, — the gross value of goods 

 imported into Britain from Greenland and Davis' 



