174 A HISTORY OF THE WHALE FISHERIES 



Probably these Frisians learnt their trade in the 

 first instance in the early voyages of the Noordsche 

 Compagnie. The islands of Sylt and Fohr were 

 always unable to sustain a large population, and it 

 was long customary for the adult males to seek 

 employment as sailors in foreign or foreign-going 

 vessels. The Frisians probably shipped in the first 

 place as " green-hands," the expert work being done 

 by the Basques. In 1634 there was a serious 

 dispute between the French and Dutch as to the 

 Spitsbergen fishery, and the French Govern- 

 ment forbade the Basques to ship in the Dutch 

 whalers. 



This, like many arbitrary acts of government, prob- 

 ably produced an entirely different effect from what 

 was intended. The Frisians after about twenty years' 

 experience of the business were probably nearly as 

 expert as the Basques, and this order of the French 

 Government merely facilitated the substitution of 

 Frisians for Basques as harpooners and specksioneers 

 on the Dutch ships. This same year (1634) there 

 was a tremendous inundation of the Frisian coast, 

 causing enormous damage and widespread distress ; 

 forcing more men than ever to seek employment 

 abroad. The whaling trade at this time, expanding 

 rapidly in Holland, absorbed large numbers of these 

 men, who were thus enabled to earn a much better 

 living than if they had remained at home and followed 

 agricultural pursuits. Contemporary writers give 

 moving accounts of the annual setting-out and return 

 of practically the whole of the adult male population 



