The Origin of Whaling. 15 
fishery exclusively in its own possession or along the 
sea coast, which was free for all. 
After the division of the whaling grounds the Dutch 
prosecuted their fishery with perseverance and profit. 
They were successfully imitated by the Hamburg mer- 
chants and by other Elbe fishermen. But the English 
made only occasional voyages. Sometimes the Russia 
Company and sometimes London merchants sent out 
vessels, but more often the English vessels engaged in 
other branches of trade. The English, as well as all 
the other early adventurers in the whale fishery, were 
dependent on the Biscayans, for they, from long years 
of training, were skilled in the business. Harpooners, 
coopers and cutters of fat, the most important officers, 
were usually all Biscayans.* This dependence on 
foreigners for help was one of the chief causes of the 
early English failures in the whale fishery. 
So consistently unsuccessful were the English whalers 
that the British Parliament in 1672 deemed it necessary 
to pass an act to stimulate the industry. All whale 
products were exempted from import duties for a period 
of ten years, except when imported through colonies. 
Colonial imports paid duties of six shillings per ton for 
oil and fifty shillings per ton for bone, while foreign 
imports paid £9 and £18 respectively. But in spite 
of the fact that the foreign whale fishery was successful, 
the British attempts resulted mainly in failure.” 
In 1725 the South Sea Company embarked in the 
whaling business with twelve ships, but met with only 
indifferent success. The company persevered, however, 
for eight years, when, in 1732, whaling was abandoned 
after the loss of large sums of money. Another company, 
known as the Greenland Company, had been chartered 
8 Scoresby, p. 38. 
19 Scoresby, p. 46. 
20 Scoresby, p. 39. 
21 Scoresby, p. 64. 
