COMPARATIVE VIEW. — HOLLAND. 145 



ber which crowded into the trade for many years, 

 was very considerable. 



Great as the importance of Smeerenberg had hi- 

 therto been, it gradually declined, as the fish re- 

 treated to a greater distance from the bays, and 

 the mode of captm'e was changed. The blubber 

 being then taken home in its raw state, the boil- 

 ing-houses first became useless, the coppers were 

 afterwards taken up, and many of the buildings 

 wantonly dilapidated. As the place became still 

 less frequently the resort of the fishers, the huts 

 and warehouses, many of which had been built at 

 great cxpcnce, progressively shared the same fate. 

 Such as were spared by the wanton hand of mis- 

 chief, at length yielded to the silent but certain 

 operations of time, and fell into a state of decay. 



This era, comprising an interval of about 130 

 years, is one of the greatest importance in the an- 

 nals of the Dutch commerce. During this exten- 

 sive period, the Dutch whale-fishery probably ave- 

 raged 160 sail annually ; which fleet but rarely 

 failed to return a very handsome profit to its own- 

 ers, was consequently a general benefit to the people 

 immediately interested in its success, and a univer- 

 sal source of national wealth during the whole epoch. 



The fourtli era of the Dutch whale-fishery, is 

 marked by an apparent change in tlic national cha- 

 racter, and by an evident change in the commercial 

 abilities of the people. From being one of the 



VOL. II. K 



