184 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



Having failed by diplomacy to obtain recognition of what 

 they believed to be their plain rights, the States resolved 

 to oppose force by force. Early in 1614 a new Dutch com- 

 pany was formed, and exclusive privileges were conferred 

 on it "to navigate, trade, and fish, from the Netherlands 

 on or to the coasts of the lands between Nova Zembla and 

 Davis' Straits," including therefore Greenland and Spitz- 

 bergen. 1 A tax of " last - money " was established, and in 

 the same year eighteen Dutch whalers, armed, and convoyed 

 by three States' men - of - war, left Holland for the Arctic 

 seas, prepared to maintain their right to freedom of fishery 

 by fighting for it if necessary. The English whalers did 

 not venture to attack so powerful a squadron, and as the 

 Hollanders came in 1615 and 1616 in even greater force, 

 they were for these three years enabled to carry on their 

 whale -fishing without molestation. In 1617, however, their 

 conveyers having been reduced in numbers, they were again 

 assailed by the English ; one of the Dutch vessels was despoiled, 

 and their "cookeries," or the buildings on shore in which 

 the oil was made, were destroyed. Then in 1618 the Dutch 

 reappeared, and in strength sufficient not only to maintain 

 the right they claimed, but to make reprisals. They attacked, 

 despoiled, and drove off thirteen English ships, most of which 

 returned to England empty, and the Muscovy Company 

 were loud in their complaints to the king. They put their 

 loss at 66,436, 15s., besides the spoiling of the ships and 

 the killing of the men. 2 



At this time, as we have seen, James was pressing more than 

 ever for the recognition of his claims to the herring fishery in 

 the British seas, and it may be easily imagined how he was 

 moved by the news of this fresh " outrage " at Spitzbergen. 

 At a meeting of the States-General in October, the British 

 ambassador used strong language in animadverting on these 

 "violencies, robberies, and murders" committed by the Dutch 

 on the king's subjects in the Arctic seas, on the injuries 

 inflicted on the English in the East Indies, and on other 

 matters in dispute; and he demanded that the embassy so 



1 Groot Placact-Boeck, i. 670. Aitzema, Sakcn van Staet en Oorlogh, ii. 336. 

 State Papers, Dom., xcix. 36. 



2 Ibid., xcix. 36-41. M'Pherson, Annals, ii. 287. Muller, op. cit., 131. 



