n8 THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 



by lack of able seamen.* In July, the advisability of 

 calling the whaling fleet home to prevent the vessels being 

 taken was strongly considered, but for the moment the 

 States of Holland only warned them to keep together 

 " in form of Admiralties " (or squadrons) for their safety.f 

 In December, a request of some whaling shipowners for 

 restitution of the expense of a vessel of war equipped by 

 them to protect their other ships, was favourably advised 

 on by Holland,! from which fact it is evident that the 

 trade was actually kept going during the summer of 1652. 

 On March 2 5th of the next year, however, the States- 

 General prohibited it, not only in order to keep the 

 vessels safe in port, but mainly because Government 

 wanted the sailors, and perhaps some of the ships, for 

 warlike ends. Seamen who have learned their business 

 under the Northern lights have always been found very 

 valuable for any service ; and the prohibition to sail was 

 therefore enhanced by a reinforcement of the former 

 edict against hiring out seamen into foreign service, and 

 especially into the whaling business abroad. l| 



For the same reason, while the States' fleet operated in 

 Sweden in 1659, the whaling prohibition was repeated by 

 placard dated April 4th. It was indeed repealed soon 

 afterwards (May 2nd) ; but " navigation to Greenland ' 

 was then permitted only on condition that the shipowners 

 and captains concerned in the trade should put fifteen 

 hundred able sailors at the disposal of the Boards of 

 Admiralty or buy them off for fl.i5 per head.H 



* Res. Holland, 1652, p. 172. 



t Ibid. 1652, pp. 343, 387. 



\ Ibid. 1652, p. 659. 



Groot Placactboek, ii. p. 505. 



|| Ibid. p. 302. 



1 Ibid. pp. 507-510. 



