SOUTHERN AFRICA, 3.15 
in time of war, that oil fo frequently experiences a flu^uation in 
its price, which, ho we ver favourable it may be to certain individuals 
who can command large capitals, to whom this limited policy 
confines the adventure, is difcouraging to thofe who look only 
for a fair and reafonable, but certain, profit on their induftry. If 
beyond the demands of the market, there was always a redun- 
dancy of oil on hand, the price would find its level, and the 
profits of the adventure be reduced m.ore to a certainty ; and, in 
fuch cafe, there is no reafon for fuppofmg to the contrary, that 
England might not fupply a confiderable part of the continent 
of Europe with whale oil. The advantage of extending the 
markets would be an increafe of native fifhermen without re« 
foning to foreign fifhermen. 
For many years our fifheries of Greenland were carried on by 
means of captains, harpooners, and other officers from Holland 
or the Hans Towns ; even for near a century, after the boun- 
ties allowed by Government held out a fufficient degree of en- 
couragement to bring up our own feamen to the trade, who are 
now in flcill inferior to none who frequent the Northern Seas. 
In like manner the Americans, fettled at Nantucket, almoft ex- 
clufively carried on the South Sea Fifhery, before the American 
war J and after the peace, which ceded Nantucket to the United 
States, they continued to fupply our fouthern adventurers, as the 
Dutch had done the Northern Fifhery, with captains, harpooners, 
and other officers. 
In one out- port of this kingdom, the obvious policy of efta- 
blifliing a nurfery of fouthern fifhermen has been fuccefsfully 
s s 2 ' attempted. 
