42 CHARLES I. 



Not content with these general instructions to the com- 

 missioners, the Convention of Burghs gave particular 

 directions to Mr. John Hay, whom they had appointed to 

 represent their interests in the negotiations. They desired 

 him to have fishings reserved " appropriat to the burro wis." 

 To effect this they were willing to compromise with the 

 king ; the Enghsh might " plant in the Yle of the Lewis, 

 provyding they fisch not in the reserved watters and haif 

 no magazins nor plantatiouns in anie uther of the west or 

 north Illes, nor benorth Buchan Nes nor Crumartie." At 

 the same time, however, he was to carefully premise that 

 the right of the burghs to fish in the said isle of Lewis was 

 not hereby surrendered. The Enghsh were to be allowed 

 to have " magazines " in any town south of Buchan Ness, 

 except the to^Ti and harbour of Aberdeen. 



In return for these concessions, the Scots desired Hay to 

 make certain requests of the king ; he was to ask that 

 effectual steps might be taken to remove the " Fleymings " 

 from the isle of Lewis, Shetland, Caithness, and all other 

 places to which they resorted, and that all natives should 

 be prohibited from dealing with them ; he was also to obtain 

 the Idng's promise that negotiations would be opened up 

 with the Government of the Low Countries, so that their 

 fishermen might not approach nearer the land than "ane land 

 kenning off." Finally, he was to gain permission for Scotch 

 fishermen to engage in the annual Pilchard fishing of England.^ 



Thus instructed, the Scotch commissioners set out for 

 London to confer with the Enghsh commissioners already 

 appointed. On 31st March, 1631, a letter was received in 

 Edinburgh from the Scotch representatives, who desired 

 that the Scots should state in particular terms what fishings 

 they wished reserved for the natives.- The commissioners 



1 Records of Convention of Burghs, Scot., vol. iii. p. 323. 



2 Act. Pari. Scotland, vol. v. pp. 234-235 ; Reg. Privy Council, Scotland, 

 vol. iv. (2nd series) p. 181. 



