80 A HISTORY OF THE WHALE FISHERIES 



discovery, the latter for whaling, and fortunately the 

 instructions given by the Company to the masters 

 are still extant. 



Poole was told to find whether the said land 

 (Spitsbergen) be an island or a main, and which way 

 the same doth trend, either to the eastward or the 

 westward of the Pole, as also whether the same 

 be inhabited by any people, or whether there be 

 an open sea farther northward than hath been 

 already discovered. His further instructions were 

 to sail in company with the Mary Margaret " till 

 God send you to the places where she may make 

 her voyage, which by your report should be at a 

 place named by you the last yeare 1610, Whale 

 Bay." " And God sending you to the said place, 

 we would have you to stay there the killing of a 

 whale, or two or three, for your better experience 

 hereafter to expedite that businesse, if through 

 extremitie of the ice you should be put from your 

 discoveries/' 



While the whale killing was in progress Poole was 

 told to search the coast with his sloops for whale 

 fins (really the whalebone), morses teeth, amber- 

 gris or any other commodities. " And in this 

 your coasting the land, we doubt not but you will 

 endeavour with your Shallops to gather up all the 

 whale fins you can finde, to kill the Morses which 

 you can come on by land, and to reserve the teeth 

 and blubber to the most advantage that may bee, 

 the better to bear out the great charge which you 

 know we are at in these Discoveries. And to that 



