316 WHALING AND BEAR-HUNTING 



Seychelles to British concerns. Our company rented land 

 for our station, built the factories and has some years' lease to 

 run, and the best season for fishing begins about 1st of May. 



The vast whaling industry in the Falkland Island De- 

 pendencies the South Georgia and South Shetlands was 

 started as a result of the information that Dr W. S. Bruce 

 and the writer brought back from there in regard to the 

 immense number of firmer whales we had seen there in 

 our Antarctic voyage of 1892-1893 to the Antarctic and 

 Weddell Sea ; and in one of the first of the Norwegian 

 companies, which is still successful to-day, the writer took a 

 considerable interest at its start. This company is to-day 

 paying a dividend of over 150 per cent. But for the war 

 I consider the Seychelles whaling should have paid hand- 

 somely now. 



In regard to this great modern whaling industry in the 

 sub-Antarctic seas we may here say that, previously to 

 the Norwegians starting it, Dr Bruce and the writer held 

 meetings in Edinburgh and urged the leading business men, 

 merchants and shipping people to take it up. We foretold 

 the fortunes that were to be made, but they did not rise. A 

 little later the Norwegian who we hoped to have as manager 

 for the first whaling station in South Georgia, Captain 

 Larsen, succeeded in raising capital in Argentina, and I am 

 told began with a modest 70 per cent, profit in the first year. 

 Norwegian companies quickly followed his lead and utilised 

 our Empire's resources for Norway ! 



