148 WHALE-FISHEllY. 



cargo should produce 100 quardeelen of oil or up- 

 wards. Previous to this, the encouragements held 

 forth were principally comprised in the exemp- 

 tion of all the produce of the whale-fisheries, to- 

 gether with some of the stores used in the equip- 

 ment of the ships, from duty. The Government, at 

 the same time that it encouraged its own subjects 

 to embark in this trade, for the benefit of the State, 

 was exceedingly careful that none of the advantages 

 accruing from it should be divided with other na- 

 tions. The means used for confining the prosecu- 

 tion of the whale-fishery, by the subjects of the 

 United Provinces, within their own dominions, 

 were extremely rigorous. No ship was allowed to 

 be equipped for the whale-fishery by Dutch sub- 

 jects, from any country or kingdom but their own ; 

 and no barrels, boats, or other implements used in 

 the fishery, were permitted to be exported or sold 

 abroad, under the severest penalties : no ship was 

 allowed to be fitted in Holland for the use of any 

 foreign power, under the penalties of its confisca- 

 tion, &c. : none of the produce of the whale-fishery 

 was allowed to be conveyed from Greenland to any 

 foreign country to be disposed of, directly or indi- 

 rectly, (excepting under the usual regulations of 

 exportation), under the penalty of COOO florins, se- 

 curity for which sum was required for each ship be- 

 fore putting to sea, together with the confiscation 

 of the ships by which such produce might be illc- 



