THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE FISHING 45 



proposals to the commissioners, leaving them to adopt those 

 which they thought best. 1 



On 20th July, 1631, a reply was received from the king 

 himself, in which he expressed himself as dissatisfied with 

 both sets of proposals. He thought that since members of 

 the association were to have liberty to land anywhere upon 

 payment of the usual dues, they ought to be permitted to 

 fish, " wherever they had to pass." He was willing to reserve 

 for the natives " all suche fishings without whiche they 

 cannot weill subsist and whiche they of themselfes have 

 and doe fullie fishe," but he was determined that no hindrance 

 should be placed in the way of the carrying out of " this 

 generall worke." 2 



Acting upon this letter, the Council instructed the Burghs 

 to revise what they had already done and arrive at a definite 

 decision as to what fishings they considered absolutely 

 essential to the subsistence of the natives. 



On the 21st September, 1631, the Gentry and Commis- 

 sioners for the Burghs, assembled at Perth, made a final 

 declaration embodying their modified demands. After these 

 declarations had been considered by the Privy Council they 

 wrote to the king saying that they thought it necessary to 

 reserve the " firthes of Lothiane, Murrey and Dumbartane." 

 These firths were defined by the burghs thus : the " firth 

 of Lothian " " betuix the heids of Sanct Tobsheid in the 

 Merce upon the south and the reid head in Angus upon the 

 north " ; the " Murrey firth," " betuix Buchannase in 

 Buchan and Dungisbieheid in Caithnes " ; the " Dum- 

 bartane firth " " betwix the Mule of Kintyre and Mule of 

 Gallouay." 3 The Privy Council asked the king to reserve 

 also " fourteen myles aff the coast interjected betuix the 

 saids firthes in respect that the countrie there is weill peopled 

 and that the salmound fishing may otherwayes be spoyled." 4 



1 Act. Parl. Scotland, vol. v. p. 236. 2 Ibid. vol. v. pp. 236, 237. 



;! Ibid. vol. v. p. 237. 4 Reg. Privy Council, Scotland, vol. iv. (2nd series) p. 340. 



