COMPAKATIVE VIEW, — HOLLAND. 157 



Prom this table, it appears, that the expences in- 

 curred by the Dutch Grecuhmd whale-fishers, in 

 tlie course of 107 years, included between 1669 and 

 1778, (three years of war omitted), amounted to 

 177,893,970/.'; that the product of the fishery was 

 in the same interval, 222,186,770/, which leaves 

 a balance in favour of the fishers of 44,292,800/.* 

 or 3,691,066 /. Sterling. If we divide the expences 

 and, profits by 107, the number of years included in 

 the estimation, we find the annual expenditure 

 must have been 1,662,560/, and the annual re^ 

 ceipts 2,076,512/, and consequently the annual 

 profits 413,952/ But if an annual expenditure 

 of 1,662,560/ afford an annual profit of the sum 

 of 413,952/, there must be an advantage realized 

 to the adventurers of about 25 j;<?r cent-. 



From the same table, we learn, that during a 

 period of 60 consecutive years, from 1719 to 1778, 

 the Dutch Davis' Straits fishers realized a profit of 

 10,964,872/ or 1S2,74^S f. per a?inum. But the 

 expences during this period being 40,677,610/, 

 the proportional advantage to the adventurers must 

 have been 27 per cent. 



The question, therefore, whether the Dutch 

 whale-fishery was, on the whole, of benefit to the 



* Had the value of the ships been inckuled in these calcu- 

 lations, instead of the freight or hire, the aimual ]iroiit per cent. 

 on the capital embarked in the trade, would, I imagine^ have 

 been reduced to near one-half. 



