202 OLD WHALING DAYS. 



The Merchants of Hull, who were ever remarkable for 

 their assiduous and enterprising spirit, fitted out ships for 

 the whale fishery as early as the year 1598, being about 

 half a century after its discovery by Sir Hugh Willoughby. 

 The enterprise was not at first very profitable, and our 

 merchants, after a time, nearly ceased to prosecute it ; but 

 after the passing of the Bounty Act, in 1794, their enterprise 

 again assumed a respectable appearance, which, however, 

 declined after the reduction of the bounty. 



From 1772 to 1852, a period of eighty years, 194 ships 

 were fitted out, and sailed from this port to the whale 

 fishery ; out of this number eighty were lost, and six more 

 were taken by our enemies in war time. During these 

 eighty years, Hull ships took 85,644 men, an average of 

 1070 per year; and during the same period, brought home 

 171,907 tons of oil, an average of 88 tons of oil per ship 

 per annum, which sold for ,"5,158,080, being an average of 

 ^64,476 per year. In the year 1820, sixty-two ships were 

 sent out, in 1837 only one. 



The trade fluctuated from this period, until it was finally 

 abandoned. The last ship sent out was the Diana, which 

 had been fitted as a steamer, her last voyage being 

 in 1869, on returning from which she was lost off Donna 

 Nook, on the igth October of that year; since which period 

 the trade has been wholly abandoned, as far as Hull is 

 concerned. 



1553 Sir Hugh Willoughby discovered Greenland. Spitz- 



bergen. 

 1576 Martin Frobisher discovered the Straits named after 



him. 



1586 Davis discovered the Straits bearing his name. 

 1593 Whaling first commenced. 



1607 and 1608 Hudson's Voyage of discovery towards the 

 North Pole. 



