THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 407 



it was " unlawful and contrary to the Union for one province 

 to preclude another from traffic in the free sea," and the 

 Arctic Company's monopoly had therefore no title to be 

 respected. But the participators in the Prison Company 

 nevertheless found it expedient to apply for the States- 

 General's approbation on their charter, to prevent "mis- 

 understandings and actual collisions " (dadelijkheden) 

 between the whalers of both provinces. The Holland Arctic 

 Company's Charter had meantime been prolonged for 

 eight years, by a fresh privilege dated October 25th, 1633 ; 

 but in spite of the monopoly thus maintained the States- 

 General issued orders for Hollands whalers not to molest 

 the Prisons. The latter accordingly fished, in virtue of 

 their own charter, and, as it were, on sufferance from the 

 States-General ; while at the same time the Arctic 

 Company averred the Prison charter to be void, as in 

 collision with their monopoly. This ambiguous state of 

 things, a result of the very ill-defined rights of sovereignty 

 in the Republic of the United Provinces, of course gave 

 rise to frequent disputes between the rival parties, to 

 terminate the which the States of Holland once more 

 offered their mediation, and had a series of meetings held 

 between delegates from the Zealand, Holland, and Prison 

 whaling companies before a committee of the States, in the 

 course of the years 1635 and 1636. As the result of these 

 deliberations, an accord was agreed upon on July 25th of 

 the latter year. To this agreement or " treaty" (which 

 was simply a private contract concluded before a notary) 

 the companies of Holland and Zealand combined were one 

 party, and that of Friesland was the other, and the latter 

 was allowed to share the whaling monopoly.* 



A repartition of common profits and expenses was 

 * Zorgdrager, p. 188 ; Aitzema,\\. p. 359 ; Gr. Plac. Boek, ii. 3018. 



