COMPARATIVE VIEW. — FRANCE. 165 



sea, and brought home their cargoes in the raw 

 state. When Soccoa, Ciboiirre, and St Jean de 

 Liiz, were taken and pkmdered by the Spaniards 

 in 1636, they likewise seized upon 14 large ships 

 laden with blubber, as they returned from the 

 Greeenland seas *. 



The French, who greatly neglected the fishery 

 in the 17th century, made an attempt to revive 

 this branch of trade in 1784. Six ships fitted out 

 at Dunkirk, at the expence of Louis XVI., made 

 some successful voyages, both in the northern and 

 southern whale-fishery. The advantages of the 

 trade were obvious, and the French Government 

 were eager to improve them. In 1 786, some of the 

 inhabitants of the Island of Nantucket, near Ha- 

 lifax, in North America, were invited to settle at 

 Dunkirk, to carry on the fishery f. Several families 

 accepted the invitation, and to encourage them to 

 prosecute the trade, they were permitted to enjoy 

 peculiar privileges and immunities. Ships were 

 sent out to different seas, and had prosperous voy- 

 ages. But this trade, as well as almost every other 

 branch of French commerce, was completely inter- 

 rupted by the Revolution, and the particular cir- 

 cumstances in wliich that nation was placed with 

 regard to foreign powers. 



* " Memoire/' &c. p. 13. 



+ Ency. Brit. 4th edit. Art. Cdolog/j. 



