68 A HISTORY OF THE WHALE FISHERIES 



a cargo of cloths, pewter and others things, all of 

 which are destined to be taken into Spain. The 

 want of oil here is so pressing that they are getting 

 oil from rape-seed to dress their wool, and they say 

 they can manage with it. There is little of the 

 . eed, however, yet, and no matter how active they 

 may be in sowing it the out-turn of cloth by means 

 of it will be small and poor. They are trying also 

 to utilise the oil which they obtain from boiling 

 sheep's feet. Their great hope is to get soap and 

 oil from Spain through France and from the Easter- 

 lings, who I am told have already left for the 

 purpose." 1 



In 1578 we have a further reference to the whale 

 fisheries. Bernardino de Mendoza was ordered by 

 the Spanish King to make inquiries into a yoyage 

 made by the English two years previously " to the 

 country called Labrador, which joins Newfoundland, 

 where the Biscay men go in search of whales." 2 



This same year there are numerous complaints 

 about the soap-makers using fish oil and train oil in 

 the manufacture of soap. 3 



These complaints led to the Privy Council 

 forbidding the London soap-boilers to use in making 

 soap, or even to have in their possession " any more 

 blubber oyle, pumpe oyle, trane oyle, whale or other 

 fishe oyle." 



About this time there was a dispute between 



1 State Papers, Spanish, 1568-70, p. 186. 



2 Ibid., p. 567- 



* State Papers, Domestic, 1547-80, p. 605. 



