LAWS or THE FISHERY. 813 



and litigation among tlic fislicrs, to which all per- 

 sons interested in the trade were expected to con- 

 form. But as these regulations, from their want 

 of autliority, were not sufficiently observed, — and in- 

 deed, in their original form, were found to be sub- 

 ject to some difficulties, — the States-General of 

 Holland and AVest Friesland, in the year 1695, as 

 appears from a resolution dated the 25th of January 

 of the same year, approved and confirmed (after re- 

 vision) the general" regulations with respect to tlie 

 saving of the crews and stores of vessels wrecked in 

 the ice, the right to whales under peculiar circum- 

 stances, and other matters connected with the fish- 

 ery. To these regulations, every captain, speck- 

 sioneer and officer concerned in the fishery, was ob- 

 liged to subscribe. They consisted of tv/elve arti- 

 cles, in substance as follows *. 



1. Whenever a ship is lost, and the captain and 

 crew endeavour to save themselves, the first vessel 

 they approach shall be bound to take them on 

 board ; whenever this ship meets with another, this 

 other shall take one-half of the men who have been 

 saved, except only in case the ship met with shall 

 happen to have already any other shipwrecked sea- 

 men on board ; in the event of which, the number 

 in each ship shall be summed up and equally di- 



* " Beschrj'ving der Walvisvangst," Sec. Deel i. bl. 2'2 ; alsti 

 •' Jli^toire des Pcchcs," Tome i. p. 127. 



