A. D. 1732. 179 



to be very great lofers thereby. Thofe {hips brought home 24^ whales ; 

 which Hkewife proved a very lofing voyage. 



And now that company, having ventured fully as far as (and many 

 thought farther than) in prudence they ought to have done in the whale 

 fifhery, in confideration of their having, for eight years together, been 

 confiderable lofers, thought it high time to lay it afide entirely. Where- 

 for they fold off all their fliips, flores, and utenfils : and upon finally 

 ftating the accounts of this fifliery, it appeared, 



That their total difburfements on account of the Greenland whale 

 fifhery in the eight years, amounted to - L262,i72 9 6 



And the total amount of the fale of their oil and 

 whale-fins, as alfo of the fale of all their fliips, llores, 

 and utenfils, was but - _ . 84,390 6 6 



So the net lofs fuflained by this Greenland filhery, 

 in principal money alone, (without reckoning the in- 

 terefl: on the money advanced in each of the eight 

 years) was - - - Ll 77,782 3 



It has been ufually computed, that, if a Greenland fhip brought home 

 but three whales, it would be a reafonably-gainful voyage : but mofl: 

 unfortunately for the South-fca company, they had not, in all the eight 

 years fifhery, brought home at the rate of one entire whale per Ihip, 

 taking one year with another. It has, moreover, been a maxim among 

 the whale-fifliing adventurers, that one good fifliing year in feven, ufu- 

 ally makes up the lofles of fix preceding bad years. But it was very 

 unhappy that all thofe eight years happened to be bad, not only to the 

 company, but to mofl of the adventurers of other nations. It mufl, 

 however, be allowed by all, that this company, by fufiaining fo great a 

 lofs in endeavouring to promote fo national a benefit, has greatly merit- 

 ed the favour of the public ; and, moreover, that, if this fifiiery could 

 have been brought to be profitable to the company, it would moft cer- 

 tainly have been a gainful one to the nation, as will plainly appear in 

 the following refpeds, viz. 



By faving great fums of money fent annually beyond fea for the pur- 

 chafe of oil and whalebone, which we abfokuely cannot be without. 



By building and employing fo great a number of rtout fiiips as probably 

 this company would have employed, (perhaps fo tar as 100) had fuc- 

 cefs attended their fifliery. 



By the great number of good feamen, of whom this filhery is allow- 

 ed to be an excellent nurfery ; the company adually employing annu- 

 ally 950 to 1 100, befides thofe employed at the dock in lail-making and 

 in the rope-yard, cooperage, 8cc. 



Z 2 



