France by her ports and markets holds
the balance between the two contending parties, and gives the
victory, by opening and shutting them, to which she pleases. We have
still precious remains of seamen educated in this fishery, and
capable by their poverty, their boldness and address, of recovering
it from the English, in spite of their bounties. But this Arret
endangers the transferring to Great Britain every man of them who is
not invincibly attached to his native soil. There is no other nation
in present condition to maintain a competition with Great Britain in
the whale fishery. The expence at which it is supported on her part
seems enormous. 255 vessels, of 75,436 tons, employed by her this
year in the Northern fishery, at 42 men each; and 59. in the Southern
at 18 men each makes 11,772 men. These are known to have cost the
government 15l. each, or 176,580l. in the whole, and that to employ
the principal part of them from 3. to 4. months only. The Northern
ships have brought home 20. and the Southern 60. tons of oil on an
average, making 8,640 tons, every ton of oil then has cost the
government 20l. in bounty. Still, if they can beat us out of the
field and have it to themselves, they will think their money well
employed.
Pages:
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101