[ * ] 



crews commonly continued on more b , from whence they only 

 purfued the whales in boats. 



The demand, however, for oil increafing, whilft the number 

 of fifli rather decreafed, they were obliged to proceed to . fea in 

 queft of them, and now by experience and adroitnefs feldom fuf- 

 fer from the obft ructions of ice c . 



The mafters of mips, who are employed in this trade, have 

 no other object but the catching whales, which, as long as 

 as they can procure in more Southern latitudes,, they certainly 

 will not go in fearch of at a greater diftance from the port to 

 ^thich they are to return : they therefore feldom proceed much 

 beyond N. lat. 80, unlefs driven by a ftrong Southerly wind or 

 other accident. 



Whenever this happens alfo, it is only by very diligent in- 

 quiries that any information can be procured; for the mafters, 

 not being commonly men of fcience, or troubling their heads 

 about the improvement of geographical knowledge, never men- 

 tion thefe circumftances on their return, becaufe they conceive 

 that no one is more interefted about thefe matters than they are 

 themfelves. Many of the Greenland mafters are likewife directed 

 to return after the early fifhery is over, provided they have tole- 

 rable fuccefs ; fo that they have no opportunity of making dis- 

 coveries to the Northward. 



To thefe reafons it may be added, that no mips were perhaps 

 ever fent before laft fummer with exprefs inftructions to reach 

 the Pole, if poffible, as moft other attempts have been to difcover 



b There were houfes H 111 {landing on Spitfbergen, where the Dutch 

 ufed to boil their train oil. Martin's Voyage, p. 24. See alfo Callander, 

 Vol. IIL p. 723. 



c Thefe particulars I received from Captain Robinfon, whom I fhall 

 have hereafter occafion to mention. 



a N. E. 



