MR. T. SOUTHWELL ON THE ARCTIC WHALE-FISHERY. 203 
search of Seals, Sea-horses and Whales a century before 
Columbus first landed on our oldest colony; certainly ships 
from Hull and Bristol were seaching for Whales in these 
waters in the year 1593, and one of them profited by the 
wrecked remains of other vessels which had been there before 
them. 
Did Norfolk take part in this early fishery ? 
The researches of Mr. Walter Rye in the early history of 
Cromer have established the fact that “ Cromere ” in the 
15th century was a seaport of no small importance, and it is 
even said that Robert Brown, a mariner of Cromer, in the 
year 1405 re-opened commercial relations with Iceland whose 
waters formed the summer resort of the southern Right 
Whale, which was the prey of these ancient fishermen. Mr. 
Rye also states that in the will of John Sparks, a.d. 1483. 
mention is made of his cottage called “ Bluberhouse.” It is 
difficult to imagine the use of the word for any other purpose 
than that to which it has been applied in comparatively 
modern times, viz., a building for rendering out and refining 
the fat of Whales, and it seems to be strong presumptive 
evidence that Cromer added the pursuit of the Whale to her 
other marine industries ; but I know of no other evidence in 
support of Mr. Rye’s suggestion. However that may be, it 
is evident that 200 years later frequent communications took 
place between far-off Iceland and probably Yarmouth, for 
Sir Thomas Browne says that there was a native Iceland 
pony at that port which had a singular taste for barrel staves 
and hoops, and that sheep also had been brought over. The 
doctor had a correspondent in Iceland, one Theodore Jonas, 
a Lutheran minister, and says (1663) that a native who came 
yearly to England, constantly visited him before his return. 
This period of the fishery, however, does not immediately 
concern us, for the Whale pursued by these ancient mariners 
was an inhabitant of the temperate waters of the X. Atlantic, 
and quite distinct from the Polar Right Whale (Balcnia 
nvysticetus) which in the 16th century was an unknown species 
and only brought to light shortly after Hudson’s visit to 
Spitzbergen, then thought to be a part of Greenland, when 
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