Barentz, as already observed, in the same voyage discovered Cherry Island, which was by him called Bear Island; but changed its appellation in 1603, when it was discovered by a ship belonging to Sir Francis Cherry of London.
The English began the whale fishery at Spitzbergen immediately after its discovery by Barentz. The nation soon became sensible of the advantages to be derived from this trade, and Parliament gave premiums to the different adventurers. They had a formidable rival to contend with in the Dutch, who long were successful competitors with the English in this traffic[23].
[23] The Dutch, in the space of forty-six years caught 32,900 whales, the oil and whalebone of which sold for about £15,800,000. Malte Brun, tom. v. 298.
In Spitzbergen as well as in Jan Mayen, sailors have been frequently left till winter, from the same motives, and have generally met with the same fate; some, however, have been more fortunate, and have braved all the rigours of this inhospitable climate. In 1630, eight Englishmen were left here by accident, and, overcoming all the difficulties they were exposed to, by their ingenuity, were next summer found in good health. In 1743, four Russians were left here, and were not relieved till 1749, when three of the number were found alive, who had exhausted, as Pennant observes, all the ingenious contrivances related of Robinson Crusoe.
It is now time to continue the account of the remainder of our voyage, together with the whale-fishing, the great object for which voyages are made to this country.
Having made fast to an Iceberg on the 13th, as before remarked, near the south-west promontory of Cross Bay, we continued in that situation during the 14th, making all the necessary preparations for the fishing, and on the 15th we sailed about ten leagues from the shore in a westerly direction, making about one point towards the south. It blew this day a brisk gale from the east, which was intolerably cold; the wind at that time passes over large fields of ice, and in that climate, is _comparatively_ as noxious as it is in Britain. During a fresh easterly breeze, I have found the cold in the cabin so intense, that, notwithstanding we had a good fire and warm clothing, I have been obliged to put on furred gloves to enable me to hold a book. We this day killed several seals, and might have got many more, but they are not of much use unless the vessel be fitted out for their fishing only. This day we made fast to a large iceberg, and the latitude, by observation, was nearly 79°.