JAMES I. ; MARE LIBERUM 17 



During the short respite from their labours enjoyed by the 

 Hollanders while awaiting the gathering of the fleet at the 

 rendezvous in Shetland, they seem to have behaved in such 

 fashion as to render their annual advent a matter of con- 

 siderable dread to the inhabitants. The grievances of the 

 islanders are set forth in a contemporary account of " The 

 Griefs and Wrongs the Inhabitants of the Isles of Orkney 

 and Shetland and others, his Maties subjects, fishers within 

 the Kingdom of Scotland, sustains be the Hollanders 

 and Hamburg tigers." l 



After stating that " These Hollanders and Hamburghers 

 are accustomed yearly to come to ane port of Zeitland 

 called Brasso Sound, about the first of June and ly there 

 some 20 dayes or yrby attending the coming of their haill 

 companys whilk will sometyme exceed the number of Two 

 Thousand Saile," the author goes on to enumerate the 

 various wrongs and injuries committed upon the islanders. 

 When ashore, the Dutchmen, finding security in numbers, 

 indulged in many acts of wanton mischief. They " chased, 

 took, and slew sheep " belonging to the inhabitants, cut 

 down all growing timber wherever they found it. " qlk is 

 ane casualtie to these isles," spoiled meadows and green 

 pasturage, " cutting it up by drawing their names and 

 marks that ye samen is made unprofitable to the owners," 

 and trod down all the ferns " be their great numbers." 

 They " enticed to their service " the best and ablest fishers 

 in the islands, sometimes even seizing them by force, " to 

 the great prejudice of his Majesties Tennents." A more 

 willing type of recruit was found in " thieves and all sorts 

 of malefactors," who found a refuge hi the Dutch fishing 

 fleet and thus escaped from justice. In their lawlessness 



1 MSS. 31.2.16., Advocates' Library, Edinburgh. Date, about 1618. 

 See also Fraser, Memorials of the Earls of Haddington, vol. ii. p. 65. 

 Answer by the States General of the United Provinces to the Propositions 

 of the Ambassador of James the Sixth, relative to the Herring Fishery on 

 the coast of Scotland, 5th June, 1618 



B 



