THE SPERM WHALE FISHERY. 
145 
renewal, but hitherto without success ; and it is singular, 
that with the exception of an American house at Dun- 
kirk hardly any one has thought of sending out a ship 
from France.” 
In the year 1785, the English ship “Masters” began 
to discover the haunts of the sperm whale, the principal 
object of pursuit, for we find that after they had been 
out about twelve months, many vessels returned with 
from twenty to eighty tons of sperm oil each, so that in 
the year 1786, we find three hundred and twenty -seven 
tons of sperm oil was brought to this country, and 
which sold for 43Z. per ton. And the success which 
attended our whaling expeditions at this time was quite 
equal to that with which the American whalers met 
with. 
In 1786, the bounties were increased to 70QZ. maxi- 
mum and 300Z. minimum, which had the effect of 
increasing the perseverance and activity of our whalers, 
for we now discover them staying out eighteen and even 
twenty-eight months, and bringing home much larger 
quantities of sperm oil. During the year, 1788, the 
ships that were sent out were much increased in size, so 
that they were frequently of from 150 to 300 tons 
burden ; and they still continued, like the Americans, to 
fish on this side Cape Horn, taking the common black , 
as well as the sperm whale at such places as the Gulf 
of Guinea, coast of Brazil, Falkland Islands, and for 
sperm whales in particular, about the equinoctial line. 
But if the Americans had been the first to establish the 
fishery on their own shores, and even throughout the 
H 
