THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 19 



for the cod-fishing vessels, and of twenty-five for the herring 

 busses.* Still much damage was done to the herring fishery 

 by the enemy, especially in the fishing season of 1537, to 

 the effect that those who had not bought sauf-conduits 

 complained of the straits of the war, and those who had 

 were discontented about having to pay the enemy for 

 protection which, in their estimation, was due to them from 

 their own Government. A plan for equipping and arming 

 six of the busses so as to be in a condition to serve as 

 men-of-war in time of need was advised by the Emperor 

 and much discussed in the States of Holland at the time, 

 but suffered to drop, mainly because the shipowners who 

 had taken out sauf-conduits from the enemy declined to 

 contribute towards the costs, on the plea that such a 

 measure had become useless. Thus, by the Government's 

 inaction and dissensions among the parties concerned, part 

 of the fleet remained at the enemy's mercy ; and in the 

 year I543t the coast was infested by French privateers 

 to such an extent that both traders and fishermen found 

 it impossible to sail without facing imminent danger. 

 Delegates from the fishing towns and villages met at the 

 Hague and discussed the expediency of taking their pro- 

 tection into their own hands ; but they did not come to a 

 conclusion, although Government, in order to induce them 

 to fit out their own convoy, resorted to a threat of pro- 

 hibiting the fishing for the next season. In the States' 

 sitting of May 2Oth, 1544,$ the town of Schiedam's 

 representatives again broached the convoying question ; 



* Resol. van Holland in Aert v. d. Goes' Register, 1537, p. 279, sqq. 



Cf. a Placard of Sept. 18, 1536 (2 e Memoriaelboek "van Mr. J. de 



Jonge, fol. 62, verso). 



f Resol. V. Holland, in Aert v. d. Goes' Register, 1543, 



% Resolutions of the States of Holland, 1544, p. 30. /Q"- 



(^ 



uJ LIB 



