N. B. From the year 1719 are included the Davis’ Straits Ships.

From this period the Dutch whale-fishery rapidly declined, and was at length totally annihilated during the late war.

English Whale Fishery.—The English Whale Fishery, like that of Holland, was originally carried on by an exclusive company. The first association of merchants for this purpose was soon dissolved; but, owing to successive grants of the same kind, the trade continued fettered for a considerable period posterior to the Revolution. During this time, it was, as might have been expected, carried on with almost no success.—In 1724, the South Sea Company embarked largely in this department of industry; but, having, in the course of eight years, incurred an immense loss, they were glad to abandon it. In 1733, the government being determined to encourage this fishery, a bounty of 20s. per ton was granted to all ships of 200 tons and upwards, employed therein; as this bounty, however, was found insufficient, in 1749 it was doubled. This extraordinary encouragement, by factitiously determining a portion of the national capital into this channel, had at last a considerable effect; but a long time elapsed ere the English could, even with these superior advantages, successfully compete with the Dutch. Since this epoch many alterations have been made in the laws respecting the Greenland fishery; and at the commencement of the late war, the bounties were reduced, owing to the market being overstocked with oil.

The following account of the number of English and Scottish vessels employed in the Greenland whale fishery, and of their tonnage, from 1771 to 1800, both inclusive, is extracted from M’Phersons Annals of Commerce:

England.Scotland.
Years.Vessels.Tons.Vessels.Tons.
17715014,70092,797
17725015,37892,797
17735516,712103,016
17746519,77092,773
17759629,13192,773
17769127,04772,251
17777721,91772,251
17787120,29151,587
17795216,9073956
17805014,90041,282
1781349,85951,459
17823811,12261,764
17834714,26841,095
17848927,22472,047
178513641,741133,865
178616249,426236,997
178721964,286319,057
178821663,399318,910
178913338,751287,846
179013030,290225,898
17919327,598236,308
17927321,496285,487
1793388,437143,813
17944712,906133,480
1795349,135102,613
17964211,51692,317
17975013,757102,614
17985616,140102,614
17995716,731102,629
18005115,077102,652

From 1788, this table is made up from the annual accounts laid before Parliament; and the number of ships, and the tonnage, always refers to the number of those who actually cleared out for Greenland. We have already given Dr. Colquhoun’s estimate of the value of the whale oil and whalebone imported into Great Britain from 1805 to 1810.

American Whale Fishery.—The whale fishery first attracted the attention of the Americans in 1690, and originated at the island of Nantucket, in boats from the shore. In 1715, six sloops, of thirty-eight tons burden each, were employed in this fishery, from that island. For many years their adventures were confined to the American coast, but as whales grew scarce here, they were extended to the Western Islands, and to the Brazils, and at length to the North and South Seas[35]. For a long time the Dutch seemed to monopolize the whale fishery, which they followed, with success, in the Greenland or Northern Seas.

As early as 1663, they had two hundred and two ships employed in this fishery, and in 1721, as many as two hundred and sixty; in 1788, the number was reduced to sixty-nine, and for many years past, not only has this branch of their commerce, but almost every other, been completely annihilated. In 1731, the Americans had about thirteen hundred tons of shipping employed in this fishery along their coast. About the year 1750, the whale left the American coast. The hardy enterprise and activity of the American sailor, however, soon followed him in every part of the Northern and Southern Seas.