THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 183 



of the hookers ; but while being brought to Denmark 

 one of them succeeded in effecting her escape, and carried 

 to Holland, as prisoners, a Danish midshipman and three 

 common seamen who had been put on board to bring 

 the prize into port. The quarrel, which had at first 

 revolved upon an alleged monopoly of trade ashore, thus 

 became a fishery question ; and from the diplomatic 

 correspondence which was at once opened on the matter 

 it appeared that Denmark based her action on a pretended 

 exclusive right of Danish subjects to all fisJiery and navi- 

 gation within four miles of the coasts of all Danish pos- 

 sessions in the Arctic seas. Whether or not it may have 

 been true, as was stated in a petition to the States by " the 

 common shipowners of the cod fishery about Iceland," that 

 while chasing and capturing Dutch fishermen the Danes 

 had left those of France and England unmolested, here was 

 " Dominium Maris " come to life again, and the matter there- 

 fore called for the Republic's utmost vigilance and energy. 

 A series of remonstrances were accordingly presented to 

 the Danish Government by the Dutch Ambassador at 

 Copenhagen in the course of the years 1740 and 1741. 

 As regards the means of actual compulsion, Holland indeed 

 spoiled her case at the very outset, by reiterating the 

 extreme forbearance used towards the Danish vessel 

 arrested at Amsterdam in 1739. Upon the Danish Ambas- 

 sador's request the States in 1740 ordered the Admiralty of 

 Amsterdam to set the captive Danish sailors at liberty, 

 whereas the captured Dutch ships had been declared by 

 the Danish magistrates to be lawful prizes, and eventually 

 sold in public auction at Copenhagen. The point of law 

 meanwhile gave rise to extensive memorializing on both 

 sides. It was alleged by Denmark that all foreign vessels 

 were prohibited from approaching within four miles of the 



