THE DUTCH WHALERS PREDOMINANT 141 



were enormous prizes to a favoured few, but, on the 

 whole, the profit was small, and many were able to 

 take part in the trade simply because they supplied 

 the goods which the whalers required. Had they to 

 purchase these goods instead of supplying them at 

 cost price, it is doubtful whether they could have 

 kept on with the trade. 



During this period of the Dutch predominance 

 the British whalers were engaged in a series of 

 disputes which may be referred to briefly. 



In 1645 the Greenland Company (the successors 

 of the Muscovy Company) petitioned Parliament, 

 which gave notice to all the ports throughout 

 England, by their burgesses, that all should come in 

 and join the Company in guarding the harbours (in 

 Spitsbergen), giving assurance to Parliament to set 

 out yearly a certain proportion of ships. Three 

 months' consideration was given, but, owing to the 

 hazardous nature of the trade, none came in except 

 York, Hull and Yarmouth. It was therefore stipu- 

 lated that no new adventurers of only two or three 

 years' standing should now be admitted, since 

 London, Hull and Yarmouth have, at great cost, 

 defended Bell Sound, Home Sound, Green Har- 

 bour, Cross Road, Mettle Bay, and Sir Thomas 

 Smyth's Bay. The late intruders, Warner, Whit- 

 well, and others, have for two years only sent into the 

 Company's harbours two or three small vessels, which 

 not only refused to join them to keep out the French 

 and Dutch, but brought in Dutch strangers to 

 manage their stock and adventure, the consequences 



