NARRATIVE OF A VOYAGE TO SPITZBERGEN. 465 



Greenland Sea, 3d July 1816. 

 The ship Esk of Whitby being in distress, and the crew 

 of themselves unable to preserve her, it is agreed between 

 the undersigned masters, officers, and seamen of the ship 

 John of Greenock, and of the said ship Esk, that the for- 

 mer shall afford assistance to the latter, agreeable to the 

 terms and conditions following : 



I. That the ship John shall remain by the Esk, and 

 shall accompany her to some port of Shetland, if requir- 

 ed, and that the crew of the John shall, during the 

 fitting of the Esk for the passage, and during the passage 

 to Shetland, assist to the utmost of their power, in any 

 measures necessary for her preservation. 



II. In consideration of which services, the crew of the 

 ship Esk do agree to give up to the ship John, forty-eight 

 tons of oil, or blubber in proportion, after the rate of four 

 tons of blubber to three tons of oil, together with one-half 

 of the Esk's present cargo of whalebone, — and hereby they 

 consider themselves as having relinquished all title and 

 claim to the said oil and whalebone, as well as to any 

 wages, oil-money, fish-money, or other perquisites, which 

 might be dependent thereon. 



III. It is agreed by the master of the Esk, on the part 

 of his o\vners, that provided the ship Esk shall, by the 

 united exertions of the two ships'* companies, be preserved 

 and arrive safe at the port from whence she sailed, and 

 that the John accompanies, and the crew assists so far as 

 Shetland, the sum of One hundred pounds shall be given 

 by the owners of the Esk to the crew of the John, to be 

 equally divided amongst each individual, excluding har- 

 poon ers. 



IV. It is likewise agreed by the master of the Esk, on 

 the part of his omiers, that provided any of the John's 



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