HISTORY OF THE 



cc Gelderland, Artois, Hainhaut, Brabant, Flan* 

 ders, and the archduke's countries, 8 or 5000 lafts, 

 fold at eighteen pounds the laft, amounts to 160,006 

 pounds -, find ive none. 



" At Roan in Normandy, 500 lafts of herrings, 

 fold at 10,000 pounds ; and we not 100 lafts \ there 

 commonly fold for twenty, and fometimes thirty 

 pounds a laft. 



cc Befides what they fpend in Holland, and fell 

 there to other nations, the value of many hundred 

 thoufand pounds. 



" Now having perfected the valuation of the Hol- 

 landers fifh, caught in our feas, and vended into 

 foreign countries, ourfhame will m an ifeftly appear, 

 that of fo many thoufand lails of fifh, and fo many 

 hundred thoufand pounds in money made by them; 

 we cannot give account of 150 lafts taken and vend- 

 ed by us. 



<c The Hollanders are no lefs to be commended, 

 in the benefit they make of the return of their fifh; 

 for what commodity ibever any country yields in lieu 

 thereof, they tranfportin their own veffels into Hol- 

 land, where they have a continual ftaple of all com- 

 modities brought out of the fouth, from thence fent 

 into the north and the eaft countries ; the like they 

 do from out of the north into the fouth, their fhips 

 continually going a.nd bringing ineftimable profit; 

 like a weaver's fhuttle, he cafts from one hand to 

 another, ever in action, till his gain appear in the 

 cloth he makes. 



cc But the greateft navigation of theirs, and of mofl 

 importance to their flate, for maintenance of fhips of 

 burthen and ftrength, is into the Streights, from the 

 port of Marfeilles, along the coaft as far as Venice. 

 During thefe eighteen years laft paft they have fo in- 

 creafed their navigation, whereas before they had not 

 above two fhips to five of ours within the Streights, 

 within the faid eighteen years they are able to ihew 

 ten of theirs to one of ours, and merely by the trade 



of 



