THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 43 



In order to ensure the observation of these statutes, each 

 fishing captain is enjoined as heretofore to have his private 

 mark apposed to each barrel before letting it out of his 

 vessel, and have this mark and his name entered in a 

 register kept by the town magistrate. Obligatory inspec- 

 tion of the fish, if for exportation, is now for the first time 

 added to assay of the barrels ; the inspector's duty being 

 to prevent herring of different qualities being packed in 

 one fust, and to see to the quality of the salt used. It is 

 prohibited, as formerly, to wash, clean, pack or otherwise 

 manipulate foreign herring. The present law is ordered to 

 be annually promulgated afresh in every fishing town, on 

 the ist of March, at which date most herring captains are 

 stated to be at home ; and all such alterations and fresh 

 statutes on the subject as may be found necessary are 

 ordered to be drawn up by the Deputies of the towns where 

 the herring trade is exercised, and promulgated after the 

 States' approval. The Herring Deputies or Commissioners' 

 functions, which till now involved the police of the trade 

 and the administration of its common financial interests, 

 are thereby completed with what is, in fact, legislative 

 power ; for it will appear further that their draft statutes 

 were always approved without any alterations by the proper 

 Legislature, i.e. the States-Provincial or General, as the case 

 might be. 



It will be seen from this brief account of what may 

 perhaps, though improperly, be styled " the herring-fishery 

 code of 1580-82," that its chief object was to uphold the 

 reputation which herring of Dutch brand then already 

 enjoyed in all foreign markets ; its next, to keep the staple 



and milt ; " nachtschamel " I take to stand for " overnight " or herring 

 not cured immediately after the catch. 



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