132 WHALE-FISHERY. 



The people of Ireland have never been dis- 

 tingiiished for any particular exertion in the wrhale- 

 fisliery. I have scarcely, indeed, met with a notice 

 of any ships from this part of tlie United Kingdom, 

 having been dispatclied to Greenland or Davis' 

 Straits ; though the British Parliament has, at dif- 

 ferent periods, encouraged the Irish to embark in 

 the fishery, by offering them bounties, and putting 

 them on an equal footing witli the British adven- 

 turers. Some attempts, however, have been made, 

 for prosecuting the whale-fishery on the Irish coast, 

 and occasionally, with a considerable degree of suc- 

 cess, 



A Lieutenant in the Army, of the name of 

 Chaplain, who, during the early part of his life, 

 had been employed in the Greenland fishery, first 

 tried the whale-fishery on the Irish coast. He 

 had received intimation from a brother oflficer, 

 when abroad, that many whales resorted to the 

 north-west coast of Ireland in the spring of the 

 year ; on which, being an enterprising man, he sold 

 his commission and repaired to Ireland. Having 

 procured two boats suitable for the whale-fishery, 

 together with the necessary supply of harpoons and 

 other instruments, he commenced his fishing occu- 

 pation, but was able to kill only two whales in 

 eight years. As the whales were numerous on the 

 coast, Chaplain imputed his waiit of success to his 

 imperfect apparatus, and being unable to purchase 



