THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 23 



prescribed is such as to constitute a heavy charge upon 

 vessels of such a capacity. 



It would be tedious to pursue the further course of these 

 money quarrels between Sovereign and subjects, which, as 

 said above, lasted intermittently as long as the House of 

 Austria held sway in the Dutch provinces. The depressed 

 condition of the fisheries under these circumstances is 

 testified to, not indeed by any statistics, but by several 

 legislative acts. Desertion was of frequent occurrence 

 among the seamen hired for service in the herring fishery, as 

 appears from several edicts against it. The business was 

 subject to immense risks of war, and crews were difficult to 

 hire, and apt to disband when hired, as their duty on the 

 armed busses was more of a soldier's than a fisherman's, 

 and " shooting " and " fighting " are mentioned in several 

 placards as a part of their customary work. Shipowners 

 were often tempted to sell their boats and fishing gear 

 abroad, as appears from prohibitions against such sales ;* 

 and, while forced by Government to keep their vessels in 

 the concern, were during a series of years repeatedly 

 annoyed by prohibitions against sailing without a Govern- 

 ment convoy, which appears to have been seldom or never 

 forthcoming in due time. Frequent grants of money 

 made by the States to shipowners or their representatives, 

 in order to enable them to cover losses and repair damages, 

 likewise testify to the trade's depressed condition as a 

 result of the Sovereign's unceasing wars. Not only did 

 these wars expose the fishermen to constant danger, and 

 occasion frequent extortions of grants from them ; the 

 fact of the Sovereign being at war with one half of Europe 

 also gave rise to prohibitions against exporting fish, which 



* Placards of July 22nd and Sept. I2th, 1553; 4 e Mem.-boek, v. 

 Dam, fol. 112,1 26, verso. 



