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The Literature of International Relations
colliers not many yeares since returning from Newcastle laden with coales about the well, neare Flanborough head, and Scarborough met with such multitudes of Cod, Ling, and herring, that one amongst the rest with certaine ship-hookes, and other like Instruments drew up as much cod, and Ling in a little space of time, as were sold well neare for as much as her whole lading of coale. And many hundred of ships might have bin there laden in two daies and two nights.'[1]
This 'wonderful affluence, and abundance of fish swarming in our seas'[2] the Hollanders by their fishing have known how to turn to good account. Thereby they made increase. They have increased in shipping;[3] in mariners;[4] in trade;[5] in
- ↑ The Soveraignty of the British Seas, pp. 114–15.
- ↑ p. 115.
- ↑ pp. 117–23. For the herring season alone, 'they have 1600. Busses at the least, all of them fishing onely upon our coasts, from Boughonnesse in Scotland to the mouth of Thames. And every one of these maketh work for three other shippes that attend her; the one to bring in salt from forraigne parts, another to carry the sayd salt, and cask to the busses, and to bring back their herrings, and the third to transport the sayd fish into forraigne countries. So that the totall number of ships and busses plying the herring Faire is 6400. whereby every busse, one with another, imployeth 40. men, Mariners and Fishers within her own hold, and the rest tenne men a peece, which amounteth to 112000. Fishers and Marriners. All which maintaine double, if not treble so many Tradesmen, women and children a land. Moreover they have 400. other vessels at least, that take Herring at Yarmouth, and there sell them for ready mony.' They have a total of 'at least 10000. saile, being more then are in England, France, Spaine, Portugall, Italy, Denmarke, Poland, Sweden, and Russia. And to this number they adde every day; although their country it selfe affords them neither materialls, or victuall, nor merchandize to bee accounted of towards their setting forth.'—pp. 119–22.
- ↑ pp 124–5.
- ↑ pp. 125–9: e.g. 'From the Southern parts, as France, Spaine, and Portugall for our herrings they returne Oyles, Wines, Pruynes, Honey, Woolles &c. with store of coine in specie.'—p. 126.
