THE DUTCH WHALERS PREDOMINANT 171 



practical subjects were taught. Laspeyres 1 describes 

 this interesting practical example of combining 

 philanthropy with commercial desires. The cost of 

 keeping the school going depended partly on the 

 alms of the charitable and partly on the profits to 

 be derived from whaling. A whaling company was 

 formed, the membership being fixed at one hundred 

 florins. Anyone unable to risk the loss of this sum 

 is advised to stand out, since the possibility of a 

 total loss cannot be overlooked. The company was 

 formed, and the whale fishing was successful as 

 described in subsequent writings by Ris, who, 

 nevertheless, put the goodwill and assets of the com- 

 pany at nil. In 1777 he petitions for exemption 

 from certain taxes, but in 1779 the company was still 

 successful, since there is a " Lobgedicht " of that 

 date which describes it as flourishing. 



In addition to the account of Martens, which is 

 the best, there are other descriptions of whaling 

 voyages to Spitsbergen in the latter part of the 

 eighteenth century. There is an account by Maarten 

 Mooi 2 of a journey to " Greenland " in 1786 in the 



1 Laspeyres, E. Geschichte der Volkswirthschaftlichen Ans- 

 chauung-en der Niederlander, Leipzig-, 1863. Preisschrift der 

 Fiirstlich Jablonowskische Gesellschaft. The papers of Ris 

 referred to are not in the British Museum. 



a Maarten Mooi, Journael van de reize naer Groenlandt, 

 g-edaen door commandeur M. Mooi met het schip Frankendaal, 

 behelzende zijne uitreize van Amsterdam 22 April, 1786, bezetting- 

 in het ijs, zedert den 10 Junij, het voorg-evallene met de com- 

 mandeurs H. C. Jaspers, M. Weatherhead, W. Allen en Volkert 

 Klaassen of Jong- Volkert Knudsten, welke twee Eng-elsche 

 comm. beide hunne schepen verloren hebben; de g-elukkig-e ver- 

 lossing- van den Altonaasvaarder Gottenberg-er en van hem M. 

 Mooi, met veel aanmerkelyke byzonderheden, Amsterdam, 1787 



