HISTORY AND DETAILS OF WHALING. 243 



crew. The Dutch and English prosecuted the business with 

 varied success, each claiming the ground for whale fishery in 

 the seas around Spitzbergen. Large companies were formed, 

 and many ships were sent to those northern regions, each 

 armed and prepared to maintain his right and supremacy over 

 the seas. Thus one party would obtain a charter from its own 

 government, to the exclusion of the other and all others — at 

 the same time, each claiming the prior right of possession by 

 discovery. 



"At length, in 1618, a general engagement took place, in 

 which the English were defeated. Hitherto the two govern- 

 ments had allowed the fishing adventurers and companies to 

 fight out their own battles ; but in consequence of this event, 

 it was considered prudent by each party to divide the Spitz- 

 bergen bay and seas into fishing stations, where the companies 

 might fish and not trouble each other. 



" After this period, the Dutch quickly gained a superiority 

 over their rivals. While the English prosecuted the trade 

 sluggishly and with incompetent means, the Dutch turned 

 their fisheries to great account, and, in 1680, had about two 

 hundred and sixty ships and fourteen thousand seamen em- 

 ployed in them." * 



" From the year 1660, or forty years after the landing of 

 our pilgrim fathers on the shores of New England, down to 

 the end of the seventeenth century, there seem to have been 

 various, and, as far as now can be ascertained, nearly simulta- 

 neous and independent attempts to prosecute this business by 

 the inhabitants of Cape Cod, those of Nantucket and Martha's 

 Vineyard, and some of the British subjects in the bays around 

 the Bermuda Islands." 



The following interesting facts respecting the early history 

 of whaling in this country were obtained from manuscripts in 

 the New York State Library, by R. L. Pease, Esq., of Edgar- 

 town. They were copied from the originals in London, by 



* Chambers. 



