COMPARATIVE VIEW. HOLLAND. 159 



Brought forward, 273,829,852/ 

 of one year, is to 274,900/, the 

 loss to the State in one year, so 

 is the gross expeuce of the whole 

 period, 218,571,580/ to the loss 

 to the State out of these expen- 

 ces, provided there had been no 

 returns, 33,380,737 



The last sum deducted from the 

 gross receipts, gives the apparent 

 benefit afforded to the State from 

 the whale-fisheries during the 

 period in question, 240,449,115/ 



This balance, reckoning the florin at 20d. Eng- 

 Ush, is equal to 20,037,426/. Sterling, or about 

 156 tons of gold ; but if we reckon the florin at 

 21</. English, the value will be equal to about 164 

 tons of gold ! 



This tabular view of the Dutch whale-fisheries, 

 likewise shows us the average risk of the trade, as 

 it was then pursued, with regard to the safety of the 

 vessels employed in it. In 107 years, 14,167 ships 

 sailed to the Greenland fishery, whereof 561 were 

 wrecked ; or, in a fleet of 100 ships, on an average, 

 4 were lost each voyage ; hence the real risk with 

 respect to premium of insurance, must have been 



