C 229 ) 



of which is tolerably large ; but that in ftich man* 

 ner, that when the fifli has once pafTed through it, 

 he cannot find his way out again ; there are green 

 branches placed at top of the (lakes. When the 

 flood comes, thefe fifties which give chace to the 

 herrings, which always make towards the more, 

 and are allured by the verdure which they are ex- 

 tremely fond of, and intangled in the nets, where 

 they are kept prifoners. In proportion as the tide 

 ebbs, you have the pleafure of feeing their confu- 

 fion and fruitlefs flruggles to efcape. In a word, 

 they remain a dry, and fometimes heaped upon one 

 another in fuch numbers, that with one ftroke of a 

 ftick you may knock down two or three of them. 

 It is affirmed, that amongft the white fort fome 

 have been found to weigh three thoufand weight. 



No body is ignorant of the manner of carrying 

 on the whale- fifhery, for which reafon I mall take 

 no notice of it ; it is here faid, that the Bafques or 

 people of Bayonne in France, have left it over, only 

 that they might give themfelves up entirely to the 

 fur- trade, which requires neither fo large an ex- 

 pence, nor fo much fatigue, and whereof the pro- 

 fits were then more considerable as well as fooner 

 returned. But they wanted many conveniencies for 

 carrying it on, which are to be had now, there be- 

 ing fo many fettlements a great way towards the 

 gulf. There has fome years fince been an attempt 

 to re-eftabiim. it, but without fuccefs ; the underta- 

 kers either wanted the neceffary funds for making 

 the advances, or elfe wanted to reimburfe the fums 

 they had laid out too loon, or wanted conftancy. It 

 appears, however, that this commerce might be- 

 come highly ufeful to the colony, and that it might 

 be carried on with much inferior expence and dan- 

 ger than on the coaft of Greenland. What fhould 

 P 3 hin- 



