CHAPTER II 



INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES AND AN 



IMPERFECT ENGLISH COLONY 



IN NEWFOUNDLAND 



Colonisers THE age of discovery passed away and an age of imperfect 

 %Ser? colonization began. The colonizers were actuated by three 

 after Asia, different kinds of definite ideas, and definite colonization was 

 me/fzT threefold in its character. In the first place, there were men 

 idealists, \vho were saturated in the old illusions and ideas, and in- 

 tended colonization as a means to an end, the end being the 

 gold and silver and spices of Asia. Secondly, there were 

 fishermen, who went to Newfoundland for its own sake, in 

 order to catch fish for the European market, who were with- 

 out illusions or ideas or any wish to settle, and who belonged 

 to many nations, and thwarted but also paved the way for 

 more serious colonizers. Thirdly, there were idealists who 

 wished to colonize for colonization's sake and to make 

 England great; but in order to make England great they 

 thought it necessary to humble Spain in the dust, and their 

 ideas were destructive as well as creative. All these colon- 

 izers bad their special projects, and each project, being 

 inspired by imperfect ideals, failed more or less, or changed 

 its character from time to time. The first and third projects 

 were at one time guided by the same hand ; but the first 

 project gradually cast off its colonizing slough, and resolved 

 itself once more into discovery for discovery's sake ; and the 

 third project ceased to be a plan of campaign, and resolved 

 itself into sober and peaceful schemes for settling in the land. 

 Even the second project, which was unled, uninspired, un- 

 national, and almost unconscious, and which began and 

 continued as though in obedience to some irresistible and 

 unchangeable natural and economic law, assumed different 



