492 THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 



formerly, permitted to catch herring for bait at all 

 seasons; but if sailing before the I5th of July were not 

 allowed to have more than eight herring-nets on board, and 

 ten if sailing at a later date. In the former case, they were 

 prohibited from curing or preserving any herring whatever 

 unless for immediate use as bait for cod-fish ; and all sale, 

 barter, or transfer of salted herring was strictly interdicted 

 to them. If sailed after the I5th of July, they were 

 allowed to cure the remnant of their herring left after 

 providing the necessary bait ; but such herring was not to 

 be sold unless in open barrels, and qualified as " mixed " 

 (pngezonderdeti) herring, subject to previous inspection by 

 the assayer, who was to destroy the herring thus brought 

 into port if found unfit for consumption. The object of 

 these rules was to secure the Grand Fishery the unre- 

 stricted monopoly of curing till the i5th of July, i.e. the 

 day on which the last " sale-hunter " was to leave the 

 herring fleet and sail home ; and even after the said date 

 to prevent the cod-fishery from offering the cured-herring 

 business any serious concurrence. 



Such are the principal contents of the Herring Law of 

 1 80 1. It was, as has been shown, a codification of the 

 rules in vigour under the Republic of the United Nether- 

 lands, whether established by the legislator of the realm or 

 by the Herring 1 College's ill-defined but seldom-questioned 

 authority. 



Besides the law itself, which is composed of no less than 

 109 clauses, and a series of forms of oath annexed to it in 

 imitation of the Placard of 1656,* the publication of 

 July 28th, 1 80 1, contains two more documents requiring 

 peculiar mention, viz., an instruction for the members of 

 the " Grand Fishery Committee of the Batavian Republic," 

 * See part ii. chap. i. 



