10 THE DUTCH GRAND FISHERY 



Gradually, however, they had encroached upon this, with 

 the result that the complaints of the Scotch fishermen 

 became very bitter against the usurpers. The Hollanders, 

 indeed, seem to have oppressed the native fishermen in 

 many ways. They " cut their nets and offered violence to 

 their persons, and in the end they drove them from their 

 own seas and forced them to seek their fishing upon the 

 Isle of Fara in Denmark."^ This led to a remonstrance 

 on the part of the Danes, and on March 12th, 1618, to the 

 forbidding of the Scotch fishermen to fish there. Naturally 

 the Scots clamoured for a like prohibition against the Dutch, 

 and on April 4th, of the same year, presented their petition 

 asking this. The king, on 7th November, ansv/ered that 

 commissioners must be appointed to treat on the matter. 

 The Scots sent as their commissioners Lennox, Hamilton, 

 Lord Binning, and Sir George Hay.^ The Hollanders 

 refused, however, to abide by the treaty which followed, 

 and insisted upon the freedom of the sea to all ; James, 

 v/hile wilHng to allow the Dutch the privilege of fishing in 

 what he asserted to be British waters, maintained, never- 

 theless, that they must abide by the ancient custom, fixing 

 the prohibited fishing area for foreigners as being the part 

 " within kenning of land, as seamen do take a kenning," 

 a custom recognised in England also.^ Ultimately, in 1618, 

 Sir D. Carlton was instructed to make proclamation to the 

 Dutch fixing the hmit at 14 miles, " this year or at any 

 time hereafter." * 



In that year, 1618, the Dutch, as we have seen, went to 

 the fishing on the coast of Scotland with a double convoy, 



^Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339, p. 161, and Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., 

 vol. 229, No. 78. 



2 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. I., vol. 229, No. 78. 



3 Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339, p. 147. King James to Sir D. Carlton, 

 4th May, 1618. 



*Cal. S.P. Dom. Car. II., vol. 339, p. 161. 



