COMPARATIVE VIEW. — BRITISH COLONIES. 137 



rated mtli a mixture of seal and cod oil, and tlie 

 fins brittle *. 



" In order to encourage that great nursery for 

 hardy seamen, the^ Newfoundland fishery," Par- 

 liament, in the year 1775, offered premiums to suc- 

 cessful fishers, as well whale-fishers as others. The 

 vessels w ere to be " British built, of 50 tons burden 

 or upwards, belonging to Great Britain, Ireland," 

 or places subject to the British Crown, and na- 

 vigated with not less than 15 men, three-fourths 

 of them, besides the master, being British sub- 

 jects. A^essels thus conditioned, " prosecuting the 

 whale-fishery in the Gulf of St Lav.rence, or on the 

 coasts of Labrador or T^ewfoundland, and catching 

 one w^hale at least, were allowed to import their oil 

 free of duty; andpremiimis of 500/., 400/., 300/., 

 200/., and 100/., were allowed to the five vessels 

 which should bring the greatest quantity of oil. 

 The skins of seals, caught by European British 

 subjects, were also admitted to be imported free of 

 duty, in sliips legally navigated f ." 



In 1780, the British colonies afforded to Ireland 

 24,489 gallons of oil, of their own fishing ; in 1781, 

 16,466 gallons; in 1782, 22,908 gallons; in 1783, 

 43,743 gallons, and in 1784, 30,985 gallons of oil :|:. 

 The same colonics imported into Britain, in 1787, 



* Anderson's Com. a. d. 1771- i 15th Geo. III. c. ^1, 



X Macpherson's Annals of Commerce. 



