DUTCH HERRING FISHERY. 257 



nature of every poflible trefspafs. No field is left 

 for the voluntary exercife of honour and honefty. 

 The upright man and the rogue are put on a level. 

 <c This is the law> and this is the penalty, " is the 

 language of a Dutch tribunal, to all perfons without 

 dillinftion, who engage in the fifheries. The 

 reputation of their great ftaple, and the credit of 

 the (late are at ftake, and he who is not naturally 

 upright, is compelled to practical integrity. 



Every perfon knows his duty, and the confequen- 

 ces of neglect, delay, or fraud ; infomuch, that 

 though the whole body of fiihery laws may contain 

 two or t'i'ee hundred claufes, each individual is fo 

 perfect in his own department, and fo faithful to his 

 truft, that mifconduct feldom happens. The whole 

 bufinefs is carried on as it were by mechanifm, 

 without noife, buftle, or jealoufy ; for it may be 

 obferved, that almoft every Dutchman is a patriot, 

 having the interefl of his country at heart^ equally 

 with that of his family. 



Each of the four marine provinces hath a regular 

 fifhing board, eftablifhed for facilitating whatever 

 relates to that bufinefs, called a Fijhing Chamber, to 

 which there is a confervator, and a certain/ number 

 of afiiftants, clerks, &:c. 



All the laws and regulations committed to the 

 management of thefe official departments, lead to 

 the perfection, delicacy, and flavour of the herrings, 

 by which the republic may enjoy a preference at 

 foreign markets. Of thefe laws I have felected a 

 fpecimen, which may amufe fome readers and be 



ufeful to others* 



\j 



i. Each mafter of a veflel or bufs fliall declare to 

 the fecretary of the port from whence he fails, 

 where he intends to fifh, to what port he is to- 

 mum, and what mark he is to ule, that it may 

 be regiftered* under the penalty of 120 guilders. 



1. That no mafter of a veflel fhall be allowed to go 



to the herring tilhery, without the confent of the 



R burgomafara 



