64 
GREENLAND VOYAGE. 
CHAPTER IH. 
PROCEED TO THE SOUTHERN FISHING-STATIONS.-EN¬ 
TER THE MAIN WESTERN ICE, AND PENETRATE 
WITHIN SIGHT OF THE EASTERN COAST OF WEST OR 
LOST GREENLAND. -CAPTURE TWO WHALES. 
Having met with very little encouragement 
to persevere in this parallel for whales, I deter¬ 
mined upon proceeding to the southern stations, 
extending from the 77th degree of latitude, down¬ 
wards, where, within the last three or four years, 
the only good cargoes had been obtained. The 
period for the commencement of this fishery I cal¬ 
culated to be so near at hand, as not to render it 
prudent to remain longer in the now unproduc¬ 
tive stations of the north. Before the year 1818, 
for at least a quarter of a century, the fishery ge¬ 
nerally was pursued between the parallels of 76° 
and 80°; and the 79th degree, at the distance of 
thirty or forty leagues from the coast of Spitzbcr- 
gen, afforded to the most persevering fishers, an 
abundaut harvest, for years together. After the 
season of 1814, however, the northern fishery be¬ 
came extremely precarious; the whales then be- 
