NATURAL IIISTOR T. 
14± 
out pieces of about three feet tliick and eight long, which are 
hauled up at the capstan or windlass. \V hen the fat is all 
got off, they cut off the whiskers of the upper jaw with an 
axe. Before they cut, they are all lashed to keep them firm; 
which also facilitates the cutting, and prevents them irom 
falling into the sea : when on board, live or six of them are 
bundled together, and properly stowed : and after all is got 
off, the carcass is turned a-drift, and devoured by the bears,^ 
who are very fond of it. In proportion as the large pieces ol 
fat are cut off, the rest of the crew are employed in slicing 
them smaller, and picking out all the lean. VV hen this is 
prepared, they stow it under the deck, where it lies till the 
fat of all the whales is on board; then cutting it still smaller, 
they put it up in casks in the hold, cramming them very full 
and close. Nothing now remains but to sail homewards, 
where the fat is to be boiled and melted down into train-oil. 
It were in vain to speak in this place of the advantages that 
maybe derived to Great Britain from the whale fishery. We 
shall only remark, that the legislature justly considering that 
trade as of great national importance, bestowed upon it at 
different periods very considerable encouragements. In par- 
ticular, every British vessel of 200 tons or upwards, bound 
to the Greenland seas on the whale-fishery, if found to be 
duly qualified according to the act, obtained a license from 
the Commissioners of the customs to proceed on such voy- 
age : and on the ship’s return, the master and mate making 
oath that they proceeded on such voyage and no other, and 
used all their endeavours to take whales, & c. and that all 
the whale-fins, blubber, oil, &c. imported in their ship, were 
taken by their crew in those seas, there was allowed 40s. for 
every ton according to the admeasurement of the ship. 
it was afterwards found, however, that so great a bounty 
was neither necessary to the success of the trade, nor expe- 
dient w ith regard to the public. In 1780, therefore, the acts 
conferring the said emoluments being upon the point of ex- 
piling, the subject was brought under the consideration of 
Parliament; and it was proposed to continue the former mea- 
sures, but with a reduction of the bounty from 40s. to SOs. 
In proposing this alteration, it was stated, “ that the sums 
which this country had paid in bounties for the Greenland 
fishery amounted to £1,265,461 ; that, in the last year, we 
had paid £91,858 ; and that, from the consequent deduction 
of the price of the fish, the public at present paid 60 per 
l ent, upon every cargo. In the Greenland fishery there were 
employed 6000 seamen, and these seamen cost government 
£13. 1 0s. each man per annum, though we were never able 
