THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 41 



well as the places where to appose the cooper's and the 

 town-brand, are accurately determined by the law. Branders 

 are allowed to exercise the coopering trade on their own 

 behalf, but they are in this case to have their article 

 examined and branded either by a colleague or by the 

 assayer or " keurmeester " himself. The barrels carried to 

 sea by fishermen are to be either new, or provided with 

 fresh hoops and assayed and branded afresh since last used. 

 The packing of herring and piling up of barrels is ordered 

 to take place either in the public street or with doors open, 

 so as to enable all and sundry to control the execution of 

 the aforesaid dispositions as regards the quality of the 

 barrels used.* 



The nature of the salt to be used by fishermen at sea is 

 regulated in detail. Gross salt, if used at all, is to be 

 previously examined by the assayer, and, for full herring 

 caught after St. James's, Bartholomew's, or Elevation day, 

 " small salt sodden from salt " is the only sort allowed. No 

 salt is to be sold, bought, or taken on board, unless accom- 

 panied by a certificate as to its quality, delivered at the 

 place of fabrication. 



As to the fishery itself, the most important disposition of 

 this Act is the fixation of the fishing season for cured- 

 herring between July 1st and December ult. of each year. 

 The former, or opening date, which had been appointed at 

 June ist two years before, was again shifted to St. John's 



Herring College in 1593 resolved to have the assayers' measures 

 adjusted to this standard, and a general " equalization " of all barrels 

 was ordered to take place in 1624. 



* It was commonly done in public ; whence probably the name of 

 " Haringpakkery " still applied to one of the broadest quays of 

 Amsterdam. 



E. 8. E 



