466 THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 



ing of two whalers from Amsterdam off Spitzbergen, in the 

 summer of 1612, by a fleet of English whalers well equipped 

 for warlike proceedings. The small Dutch fleet sailed home 

 despoiled both of fish caught and oil made, and of the 

 instruments to catch and make more. The " Mare clau- 

 sum " controversy, just quieted in the British seas, sprung 

 up in a fresh and very critical shape beyond the 

 Arctic circle ; for the whaling seas were included in the 

 alleged " Dominium Maris " of Great Britain. And this 

 time the king was not to be moved, though Winwood, late 

 ambassador of England at the Hague, and just then called 

 to the Secretaryship of State, interceded for the Dutch 

 claims on behalf of the States, who on their part addressed 

 to the king a memorandum, " Replicques fondees a 

 1'encontre des propositions et pretentions des Anglais, 

 d'avoir le commandment sur la Pescherie de File Spits- 

 berge ou Terre Neufve," composed by the renowned Dutch 

 cosmographer Plancius. There was nothing for it but to 

 oppose violence to violence. A Dutch company was 

 formed in 1614 (see chapter II.), and sent eighteen vessels 

 north, under cover of three men-of-war. A truce was the 

 consequence, and for the year 1614 the waters of Spitzbergen 

 were divided between the parties who had come north 

 ready to fight for them. The same armed peace again 

 prevailed in 1615 and 1616, when the whaling fleets of both 

 States came out under convoy, and seem to have fished 

 in peace, keeping each other in respect. Diplomatic inter- 

 ference, in which the celebrated Grotius acted as a com- 

 missioner on the part of the States-General, and extensive 

 memorializing on both sides, meanwhile led to no solution 

 of the difference, as James I. inflexibly maintained his 

 claim to Dominium Maris, and vouchsafed no answer to 

 the Dutch Ambassador's remonstrances. Although peace 



