THE DUTCH WHALERS PREDOMINANT 131 



year's proceedings at the Spitsbergen fishery. In 

 1624 five English ships going to the fishery met 

 two Zeelanders, and would have attacked them, but 

 for the opportune appearance of a Dutch man-of- 

 war. 1 More Dutch ships, to the number of twenty, 

 arrived, so the English were compelled to retire. 

 One of these Dutch ships was a small vessel of 

 eighty tons, in charge of Simon Willemsz, with 

 Jacob Jacobsz of Edam as pilot, with instructions 

 to sail along the north coast to Cape Tabin, and 

 try for a north-east passage. They could not have 

 gone very far, since they were back in time to take 

 part in the season's fishing. The Dutch made a 

 good voyage this year, but sending a laden vessel 

 home imprudently in advance of the others, she 

 was captured by a Dunkirk privateer and held to 

 ransom for ten thousand guilders. 



In 1625 the Muscovy Company sent twelve 

 ships to the fishery, under command of Captain 

 William Goodlad, who, arriving at Whale Head, 

 found that nine ships of York and Hull had been 

 there and taken away the Company's shallops left 

 over from the previous season, burned their casks 

 and spoiled their material for the fishery, besides 

 demolishing their houses and fort. On his return, 

 Goodlad applied to the Privy Council for warrants 



1 Claes Wassenaer. Historisch verhael alder g-hedenck- 

 weerdichste Geschiedenisse, die hier en daer in Europa, als in 

 Duitsch-lant, Vranck-rijk ... en Neder-lant, Asia, America en 

 Africa, van den beginne des jaers 1621 tot Octobri des jaers 

 1632, voorg-evallen sijn. (Met platen kaarten en portretten.) 

 Tot Amstelredam, by Jan Evertsz, Kloppenburgh, 1622-4, 

 J. Hondius, 1624, en Jan Jansz, 1625-35, 21 din., 7 bdn., 4to. 



