Belleisle, the coast of Labrador, Davis's Straits, even to Cape
Desolation, in 70 degrees of latitude; where the Danes carry on some
fisheries in spite of the perpetual severities of the inhospitable
climate. In process of time they visited the western islands, the
latitude of 34 degrees famous for that fish, the Brazils, the coast
of Guinea. Would you believe that they have already gone to the
Falkland Islands, and that I have heard several of them talk of
going to the South Sea! Their confidence is so great, and their
knowledge of this branch of business so superior to that of any
other people, that they have acquired a monopoly of this commodity.
Such were their feeble beginnings, such the infancy and the progress
of their maritime schemes; such is now the degree of boldness and
activity to which they are arrived in their manhood. After their
examples several companies have been formed in many of our capitals,
where every necessary article of provisions, implements, and timber,
are to be found. But the industry exerted by the people of
Nantucket, hath hitherto enabled them to rival all their
competitors; consequently this is the greatest mart for oil,
whalebone, and spermaceti, on the continent. It does not follow
however that they are always successful, this would be an
extraordinary field indeed, where the crops should never fail; many
voyages do not repay the original cost of fitting out: they bear
such misfortunes like true merchants, and as they never venture
their all like gamesters, they try their fortunes again; the latter
hope to win by chance alone, the former by industry, well judged
speculation, and some hazard. I was there when Mr.----had missed one
of his vessels; she had been given over for lost by everybody, but
happily arrived before I came away, after an absence of thirteen
months. She had met with a variety of disappointments on the station
she was ordered to, and rather than return empty, the people steered