88 THE COMMONWEALTH 



Stornoway, in the island of Mull, in the Orkneys, and in 

 Shetland, Colonel Cobbett being ordered to "make a compleate 

 conquest." 1 Cromwell's chief fear was that the Dutch 

 might attempt an invasion of the Lewis ; Lilburne, however, 

 thought it much more likely that they would concentrate 

 their attack upon Shetland, where was " their constant 

 correspondence going and coming." Since the Dutch some- 

 times had as many as " 1800 saile in and about Birssie Sound 

 in Shetland," he was of opinion that a fort upon the Sound 

 would prove a great obstacle to the Dutch fishers and 

 traders, particularly if he could have the support of a few 

 vessels of war. 2 As a result of these representations, the 

 Council of State gave orders for the establishment of forts 

 at various points on the Shetland islands, granting 4000 

 towards the cost of these and other fortifications hi Scotland. 3 

 Although Lilburne, with the small body of troops at his 

 command, was hard put to it to secure the safety of his 

 numerous garrisons, and although the English fleet was so 

 fully employed in conflict with the Dutch in the Channel 

 that Middleton could send supplies to the Scottish royalists 

 at pleasure, 4 the Dutch were likewise too much occupied in 

 the great struggle to render any efficient aid to the royalist 

 rising, and the measures taken by the Council sufficed to 

 avert the fear of invasion. 



The Treaty of Westminster, April 1654, ended this war, 

 and enabled the Dutch fishing fleet again to put to sea, but 

 frequent complaints were still made of outrages committed 

 by armed vessels on both sides. In September, 1656, an 

 incident took place which is typical of the intolerant methods 

 practised by both Dutch and English. The Dutchmen 

 engaged hi the herring fishery near Yarmouth were ordered 



1 Scotland and the Commonwealth, Firth, pp. xlix, 186-189, 202, 221, 275 ; 

 Act. Parl. Scotland, vol. vi. 2, p. 908. 



2 Ibid. pp. 226 7. 3 Ibid. pp. 228 n., 258. 

 4 Ibid. pp. 238, 290, 308. 



