348 TRAVELS IN 
the produce of the fisheries, and particularly spermaceti^ 
which, if manufactured into candles, and subject only to the 
same duty as tallow candles, would produce much more to 
the revenue than when taxed as it now is, as wax — and the 
extension of the premium system, which, by doubling its 
present amount, would probably be adequate encouragement 
to supply the home market with spermaceti and black whale 
X)il. I have heard it asserted that the bonding of foreign oil 
in Great Britain would throw the whole agency of American 
fishery on England with greater advantage to both countries 
than by any other system. 
But when we consider that the home market is necessarily 
secured to British subjects by high duties on foreign oil, we 
should also consider that every means to lessen the charges 
of outfit should strengthen our adventure in this lucrative 
branch of trade. Among others that would seem to have 
this tendency are the facilities that might be afforded to the 
Southern Fishery by the happy position of the Cape of Good 
Hope. If at this station was established a kind of central 
dep6t for the Southern Whale Fishery, it might, in time, be 
the means of throwing into our hands exclusively the supply- 
ing of Europe with spermaceti oil. To the protection of the 
fisheries on the east and west coasts of Southern Africa, the 
Cape is fully competent, and the fisheries on these coasts 
would be equally undisturbed in war as in peace. From hence 
they would, at all times, have an opportunity of acquiring a 
supply of refreshments for their crews, and of laying in a stock 
of salt provisions at one-fourth part of the expence of carry- 
ing them out from England. 
