308 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



Windebank to this effect. 1 The rumour, however, was false, for 

 on the 28th a fleet of fifty sail of busses and two or three men- 

 of-war was descried to windward, but Northumberland was 

 able to speak to only three of them that "wanted licenses." 

 On the next day, as they were following the busses that " would 

 not come near them," they caught sight of another fleet of 

 about sixty sail, with three men-of-war, and the English ships 

 went amongst them and cast anchor, and made the convoyers 

 anchor also ; " then," said the Earl, " all the busses of both fleets 

 came about us ; most of them had formerly taken licenses, and 

 such as were unprovided were then furnished by us." Next 

 day, finding no more of the herring - boats " that wanted 

 licenses," the English squadron weighed anchor and shortly 

 afterwards perceived a third large fleet of busses, guarded this 

 time by ten men-of-war. To this fleet they gave chase, plying 

 up to windward all night, and on October 1, as the wind 

 prevented the boats being sent out, they anchored in sight of 

 them. All Sunday it also "overblew," but as the weather 

 grew calmer at night the squadron again got under way, and 

 by daybreak was among the busses, which were, no doubt,, 

 busily engaged in hauling their nets. Northumberland stayed 

 amongst them until October 5, the ships' boats being kept 

 occupied each day in distributing the licenses; but they 

 "found it a very troublesome business," as the busses dis- 

 persed, and it became difficult to distinguish those that had 

 taken licenses from those that had not. The weather growing 

 misty and unsettled, and the Admiral being " out of all hope to 

 give out any more licenses," the squadron quitted the herring 

 fleet and made for Yarmouth, where the Earl landed on October 9 

 and journeyed to the Court. Altogether, at the Yarmouth fish- 

 ing, more than 200 licenses were distributed among over 400 

 busses which were present, and no opposition was offered by 

 any of the fifteen men-of-war which were guarding them. 

 "The unwillingnesse of the busses to come neere us," wrote 

 Northumberland to the Admiralty, "hath found us intertaine- 

 ment for 8 dayes together in following them, but now we have 

 left verie few of them unprovided of his Majesty's licenses." 2 



1 State Papers, Dom., cccxxxii. 39. 



2 Northumberland's Journal, Ibid., cccxliii. 72 ; Northumberland to Nicholas, 

 6th October 1636. Ibid., cccxxxiii. 26. Dutch accounts vary somewhat from 



