328 THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 



vessels together, forming what is, in very un-nautical 

 style, denominated a band (bende). The arrangement 

 must have been short-lived, if ever executed at all ; but 

 it testifies to the public authority of those who made it on 

 behalf of the rest. Again, in 1562, a loan of 10,000 florins 

 was granted to " Deputies of the Herring Trade " by the 

 States of Holland and West Friesland.* They were there- 

 fore at the said period a recognised public body qualified 

 to act in the name of all concerned in the trade. A much 

 more extensive range of official qualification was opened to 

 them after the proceedings between them and the Prince of 

 Orange, which, as said above, took place in 1575. 



The Herring Commissioners' attitude in this conference 

 is a strong evidence both of their extensive acting powers 

 and the considerable resources of their constituencies, in 

 spite of bad times. The Prince having explained to them 

 the impossibility of any considerable financial aid out of the 

 public exchequer, the delegates, with a readiness strongly 

 contrasting to the reluctant grants formerly wrung from 

 the States and the fishing towns, voted a supply of three 

 thousand Carolus florins for the first month of the fishing 

 season, and two thousand more for each of the three months 

 to follow, the said charges to be borne by the shipowners 

 according to a fair repartition.! Twelve convoying ships 

 of war were to be equipped out of this money, and further 

 funds, in case of insufficiency, to be found out of the custom- 

 house duties (licenten) on herring. But the Commissioners' 

 task did not stop at the granting of money. They were 

 now for the first time to have a fair share in the disposal 

 of it. A committee was to be appointed by the States and 

 the fishers' delegates jointly, for the organisation of the 



* Res. Holland, 1562, pp. 689, 694-696. 

 t Ibid. 1575, p. 549, 



