THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE FISHING 43 



had already demanded " all firthes, loches, bayes, and 

 yles, with some distance from the land," but this had 

 been considered too much by the English commissioners, 

 who desired that the reserved fishings should be confined 

 to "so muche without the whiche the natives cannot 

 subsist." 



The matter of the reserve was referred to the commis- 

 sioners from the burghs, who, after much deliberation, 

 finally asked that the sea upon the coasts to a distance of 

 14 miles and within all lochs, bays, and firths, should be 

 reserved ; they pleaded "if these seas should be exhausted 

 by strangers of fishes, they should be deprived of all benefite 

 of living " and the inhabitants " should be brought to 

 extreme misery." * 



The Lords of the Privy Council, however, thought this 

 reserve too great, and submitted a reservation of their own 

 to the commissioners. " Upon the east coast of Scotland 

 from Sanct Tabsheid in the shiredom of Berwick, Directlie 

 north to the Reidheid in Angus, whilk comprehends the 

 coast of the Merce, Lothiane, the firth, Fyfe, and a part of 

 the coast of Angus, and fourteene myles without the course 

 from the said Tabsheid to the Reidhead. 



" Frome the Reidhead, north northeast alongs the coast 

 of Angus, Mernes, Mar, and Buchan, to Buchannesse, and 

 fourteene myles aff the said coast. 



" From Buchannesse, northwest and be north to Dungis- 

 bieheid in Caithnes, Comprehending thairin the coast of 

 Banff and Murrey upon the south side Murrey firth, and the 

 coast of Rosse, Sutherland, and ane part of Caithnes upon 

 the north, and 14 myles without the course from the said 

 Buchannesse to the said Dungisbieheid. 



" From Dungisbieheid about the east side of the whole 

 yles of Orkney to the northmost yle of the same callit north 

 Rollandsey. And frome that west and south about the 



1 Act. Parl. Scotland, vol. v. p. 235. 



