THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 457 



no means set the fishermen's minds at rest. On September 

 24th of the same year the prohibition to use silken nets 

 was repealed as regarded set-nets fixed to poles, and used 

 on the coasts of Holland only,* at the urgent request 

 of the fishermen of Monnickendam and some neigh- 

 bouring localities. Petitions to be allowed to fish with 

 narrower nets than the sizes prescribed were examined by 

 the States in 1685 ;f and Holland took upon herself to 

 supersede till June 1st, 1688, the enforcement of the general 

 prohibition against nets narrower than twelve meshes to 

 the yard.J In 1698, conditions of a similar nature of those 

 of 1683 were agreed between Holland and Overyssel ; and 

 it is recorded that on January 2ist, 1699, forty fishermen 

 from Amsterdam, being ready to sail on the Zuider Zee in 

 " water ships " were sworn by the Burgomasters of their 

 city to observe the above regulations. In the next year, 

 however, the State of Overyssel remonstrated with those 

 of Holland about unlawful fishing by Hollands subjects, 

 and in 1707, Holland in her turn complained of violence 

 committed upon fishermen from Hoorn, by others 

 from Vollenhoven in Overyssel. In 1728, Friesland, 

 having likewise an interest in the Zuider Zee fishery, 

 remonstrated with Holland about inhabitants of the latter 

 province fishing for plaice before the fifteenth of April, 

 against a law of Friesland which never was binding for 

 Hollands subjects. || Though only now and then mentioned 

 in the States' registers, such disputes as these may be 

 presumed to have occurred as long as the Republic existed ; 



* Gr. Place. Boek, iv. 1361. 

 f Res. Holl. 1685, p. 88. 

 % Ibid. 1688, p. 265. 

 Ibid. 1700, p. 386. 

 || Ibid. 1728, p. 430. 



