168 WHALE-FISHERY. 



port. Foreign built ships were employed, foreign- 

 ers were encouraged to promote the view, and even 

 foreign manufactures necessary for the Greenland 

 fishery, were allowed duty-free *." After this pe- 

 riod, the whale-fishery was generally prosecuted by 

 private adventurers, but at no time with any very 

 great energy. Twenty-seven ships were fitted out 

 of Frederickstadt in 1803, and eight from Copen- 

 hagen, of which three were wrecked f . 



Among the ports of Germany, that of Ham- 

 burgh occupies the most respectable place in the 

 annals of the whale-fishery. The Hamburghers 

 commenced the fishery immediately after the Danes, 

 and established themselves on the west coast of 

 Spitzbergen, in a small bay situated near the 

 Seven Icebergs, discovered by themselves, which 

 was found to be but little incommoded with ice, 

 and was, therefore, very suitable as a fishing station. 

 This place still retains the name of Hamburghers 

 Bay. From a table of the whale-fishery by the 

 Hamburghers, given by Zorgdrager, it appears, that 

 they long prosecuted the trade with success. From 

 1670 to 1719, a period of fifty years, 2289 ships 

 were sent out to Spitzbergen from Hamburgh, 

 whereof 84 wtie wrecked ; the remainder captured 

 and '.uok hcaie the produce of 9976 whales, which 



^ Oddy's ;Puropean Commerce, p. 525. t Idem. 



