344 TRAVELS IN 
our warehouses with oil, as two standing nurseries for the 
education of seamen. 
One would scarcely infer, from the state of the fisheries at 
the present day, that our legislature has ever regarded them 
in this point of view. They have hitherto been carried on in 
very limited and partial manner, with encouragement just 
sufficient (and but barely so) for the supply of our own mar- 
kets ; when common policy should induce us to open foreign 
markets to take off the surplus of our dep6ts. Hence it hap- 
pens, and especially in time of war, that oil so frequently ex- 
periences a fluctuation in its price, which, however favorable 
it may be to certain individuals who can command large 
capitals, to whom this limited policy confines the adventure, 
is discouraging to those who look only for a fair and reason- 
able, but certain, profit on their industry. If beyond the 
demands of the market, there was always a redundancy of oil 
on hand, the price would find its level, and the profits of the 
adventure be reduced more to a certainty ; and, in such case, 
there is no reason for supposing to the contrary, that England 
might not supply a considerable part of the continent of 
Europe with whale oil. The advantage of extending the 
markets would be an increase of native fishermen without re- 
sortino; to foreign aid. 
For many years our fisheries of Greenland were carried on 
by means of masters, harpooners, and other officers from 
Holland or the Hans Towns ; even for near a century after, 
the bounties allowed by Government held out a sufficient 
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