138 lTHALE-riS«l^RY. 



3447 tons of oil* And in 1794, there were im- 

 ported into Britain from the United States, 970,628 

 gallons of oil; in 1795, 810,524 gallons, and in 1796, 

 1,176,650 gallons of whale oil. 



At the present time, the whale-fishery of the 

 Gulf of St Lawrence is conducted by the inhabi- 

 tants of Gaspie and others, inhabiting the shores of 

 the gulf and river. They seldom meet with the 

 mysticetus, but usually attack a species of fin-wha% 

 which resorts periodically to their coasts. 



SECT. III. 



Whale-Fishery of the Dutch, 



The Dutch have been eminently distinguished, 

 for the vigour and success with which, for the space 

 of more than a century, they prosecuted the whale- 

 fishery at Spitzbergen. But though this branch of 

 their commerce was so generally successful diu-ing 

 such a long period, it was by no means equally pro- 

 fitable at all times, from its commencement in the 

 beginning of the seventeenth century, to its termi- 

 nation near the end of the eighteenth century. On 

 the contrary, there were occasional periods of general 

 loss to the adventurers. 



* Oddy's European Conunerce, p. 533. 



