406 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



country, the fish would sell as well as in most 

 places ? Upon the whole, I feel satisfied that a 

 voyage (if a voyage it may be called, the interest 

 of which would not cease with the end of that 

 voyage) of the kind would in the present times 

 answer very well, and your brother Jonson would 

 find it abundant opportunity and encouragement for 

 his well-known talents and abilities. At any rate, 

 the oil-fit would not be great say S.2000 and the 

 benefit would be lasting to you. The men may be 

 had upon shares ; and when the cistern becomes full, 

 new arrangements can be made with the crew. If 

 necessary, bear in your mind that one ass is equal to 

 two men in carrying blubber, consequently four or 

 six asses, with three men, would equal a crew of ten 

 or fifteen men, eight or ten of whom would require 

 very different provision from asses, the latter finding 

 food at every step. Two men at the boiler, and one 

 to load the asses and drive them, would be the work 

 of many men, and save great expenses in provisions 

 and shares of the oil as wages. 



" I leave it now to your consideration how far it 

 will suit you to enter into a concern of the kind. At 

 any rate, the business should begin small, in order to 

 see first what may be done (there is no doubt in my 

 mind but it will succeed, and become very lucrative). 

 What I have related above respecting the elephant, 

 seal-fish, &c., may be relied upon ; and I could, with 

 two or three more men, procure in a season a ton of 



