394. 
A JOURNEY TO. THE. 
fifhery in that quarter, from the year one thou- 
fand feven hundred and fixty-five till one thou- 
fand feven hundred and feventy-two, they were 
fo far from making it anfwer. their expectations, 
that they funls upwards of twenty thoufand: 
pounds; which is the lefs to be wondered:at, 
when we confider the great inconveniencies and 
expences they laboured under in fuch an under- 
taking. For as it was impoflible to profecute it 
from England, all the people employed on that 
fervice were obliged to refide at their fettlement 
all the year at extravagant wages, exclufive of 
their maintenance. The harpooners had no lefs 
than fifty pounds per annum ftanding wages, and 
none of the crew lefs than from fifteen to twenty- 
five pounds ; which, together with the Captains 
falaries, wear and tear of their veffels, and other 
contingent expences, made it appear on calculati- 
on, that if there were a certainty of loading the 
veflels every year, the Company could not clear 
themfelves. On the contrary, during the feven 
years they perfevered in that undertaking, only 
four Black Whales were taken near Marble Ifland; | 
and, except one, they were fo {mall, that they 
would not have been deemed payable fifh in the 
Greenland fervice*. But the Hudfon’s Bay Com- 
pany, with a liberality that does honour to them, 
though 
*{ have heard that no Whale caught by our Greenland thips iscalled a 
Pay-fith; that is, that no-emolument arifes to the harpoener: that ftrikes 
it; unlefs the longeft: blade of the bone, ufually called, Whale-bone, mea-- 
fares fix feet; whereas-thofe killed in Hudfon’s Bay feldom meafured more’ 
than four feet and an half, 
